The Dark Lord of Jurai - Episode 2
by Michael The-Zorch Haney
Summary: Earth is safe, but now there are many unanswered questions, and the answers can be found on Jurai. Tenchi and the gang leave for there but the road is anything but smooth.
1. The Dark Lord of Jurai - Episode 2: Prol...

DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and character names from Tenchi  
Muyo, TMil, and Shin Tenchi are property of Pioneer and AIC. This  
work of fiction is written for fan appreciation only. Please do  
not sue me.   
__________  
NOTES: This work of fan fiction is based in the OAV continuity of  
Tenchi Muyo and borrows some elements from Tenchi Universe such as Nagi,  
the Yugami, and also borrows from Shin Tenchi Muyo to introuducing Yugi,  
Sakuya, and Ryu-Ohki's mech form into the story. I have also introduced   
some new characters and creations into the mix. I hope you enjoy the   
series as much as I enjoyed working on it.  
__________  
THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA  
  
Episode Two: No Need for A Space Journey  
  
Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney  
__________  
Prologue  
  
Night fell upon the Masaki household and snow covered the ground.  
Icicles hung from the sides of the house, and snow clung to the trees  
like gosimer webs of some exotic spider. This pristine scene of   
winter's beauty went unoticed by the residence o the Masaki home. They  
went about their business quietly, there was an atmosphere of nervous-  
ness in the home, and the usual jovial enviroment was not all that  
comforting anymore.  
It should have been a happier time, a more joyful time. Christmas  
was coming, Tenchi married the two girls of his dreams, but Yosho's  
words "So its decided, we go to Jurai" rang in their minds like the  
toll of an ominous bell. That by itself was not what disturbed them so,  
but it was the fact that Washu reported the source of their troubles  
was on Jurai. Worse, yet, Washu, Azaka, and Kamadake could not  
contact planet Jurai. Kiyone and Mihoshi could not find anything out  
of what was going on from deep space communications or from the HQ of the  
Galaxy Police. The GP was notified about the Darkness and the return of  
Kagato. The Marshall, Mihoshi's uncle, informed them that he would  
keep them posted on the situation.   
Tenchi held his two wives tight to his side on the living room  
couch while they watched the chaotic events of the outside world stream  
across the television set. Dozens of cities lay in ruins, thousands are  
counted among the dead, and the general environment of the world is   
total chaos. The events following the near destruction of planet Earth  
by the moon launched the planet into a major battle for sanity as the  
people struggle to make sense of what just happened. Tenchi was upset  
for what happened to his homeworld, and what the event will do to the  
political environment on Earth. Aeka and Ryoko did their best to keep  
him at ease, and their loving touch and the soothing presence of their  
thoughts in his mind worked to keep him calm. He turned his head and  
kissed both of them on the cheek as CNN-Japan showed a food riot taking   
place in Moscow, Russia, and another scene showed thousands of people   
storming the Forbidden City in China. Tokyo and several other cities in  
Japan were in ruins but the people were taking the whole situation in  
stride and helping each other get through it. The same could be said  
of New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Detroit where the  
people were coming together in adversity to help each other. At least,  
Tenchi thoght, there is still some hope for Earth. Sensing his thought,  
Aeka and Ryoko cuddled a little closer to him, and Tenchi absently ran   
his fingers through their soft hair.  
"We sure made a real mess of things." Ryoko said layer her head on  
Tenchi's shoulder.  
"Don't blame yourself, it was those damn Darklings, and Kagato."  
Tenchi said to her, hugging her tight.  
"We have Yugi and Tsunami to thank for helping us save the world.  
Without them there were be no Earth right now." Aeka commented.  
"Your right about that, Princess." Ryoko said.  
"We slept for four days because of it." Tenchi replied.  
"That was the longest four days of my life. Do you know how hard  
it was keeping twenty copies of myself and Ryoko from wringing each   
other's necks over a Tenchi who knew nothing about them." Aeka said in  
exasperation. They all laughted about the incident were twenty copies  
of Ryoko and Aeka came through random dimensional portals created by   
accident due to a rift in space that was altering the orbit of the  
moon.  
The three relaxed as best they could being washed over with  
the emotion of love and affection they felt for each other through  
the bond that joined them in mind, spirit, and marriage. Later  
they excused themselves to bed. Tenchi helped his two wives  
change out of their kimonos. There were no longer any nosebleeds  
from Tenchi as he helped them. They kissed each other goodnight  
and two the two girls on either side of Tenchi they all fell asleep.  
Tenchi woke the next morning to see Aeka and Ryoko watching him  
as he slept. They smiled at him in a loving way. He noticed how well  
the two once bitter rivals for his affections were becoming such close  
friends. The thought of how much they loved him to set aside their  
differences made tears come to his eyes. The girls sensing this hugged  
him close.  
"We have a very emotional relationship here don't we?" he said.  
"We certainly do, my Tenchi." Ryoko said.  
"Yes, one forged out of love and understanding." Aeka finished.  
"I love you two." Tenchi told them.  
"We know, we love you too." Ryoko said.  
  
Later that morning they ate breakfast that Sasami made for them.  
Immediately after Tenchi organized them all for the work at hand. Washu  
started working on some devices they would need, while the rest gathered  
all the supplies and things they would need for their journey into space  
to planet Jurai. A casual soft caress or kiss from Ryoko or Aeka helped  
make the work easier on Tenchi as he and his Dad carried boxes of food  
and other supplies onboard the Yugami with Kiyone and Mihoshi helping   
out. Ryoko and Aeka helped fill the boxes and seal them up. Ryoko had  
to pick Ryu-Ohki out of one box that Aeka was about to seal up, and then  
she had to wrestle the cabbit to make her let go of the carrot she was  
grasping as if her life depended on keeping it. This made them laugh  
and it brightened the mood a bit.  
Washu came out of her lab presenting a dimensional tunnel device  
that would link the Yugami to her lab. Washu also used pseudo-space to  
create a large living area for them in the cargobay. It was nothing  
too extravegant, since they were not going to Jurai on a joyride, and  
Washu did make sure that Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko had their own spacious  
quarters.  
The night before they left for Jurai Sasami cocked on last meal  
for them on Earth. They all toasted each other with a glass of saki  
and they even let Sasami have a glass. Ryoko was the only one who   
refused a glass and had some orange juice instead. They all understood  
why since she was carrying Tenchi's child.  
"Yuk! Is this the stuff you keep drinking Ryoko?" Sasami asked  
after she tasted the saki.  
"Its an aquired taste, hun." Ryoko said after sipping on her   
juice.  
"Not me." Sasami said and everyone had a good laugh.  
Immediately there was a knock at the door and Tenchi went to see  
who it was. The others watched expectantly not knowing what to expect  
considering the situation going on in the world around them right now.  
Tenchi opened the door and found a very tired looking Aeiko and Makoto  
standing on the porch.  
"Come in, you both look like you walked for miles." Tenchi said.  
"We did. All the bullet trains are out, so we walked all the  
way here." Makoto said as he helped Aeiko into the house. Aeiko was  
limping on her left leg.  
"What happened?" Aeka asked in concern.  
"We got jumped by some looters." Makoto said after helping Aeiko  
sit down. She kissed his cheek lovingly and he sat met to her and   
held her hand.  
"Tenchi, what the hell is going on?" Makoto asked.  
"Long story. Lets just say what is going on now could have been  
much worse, alot worse." Tenchi said.  
"Oh, great, a major catastrophy takes place and we miss all the  
action." Aeiko said.  
"If you saw what we were up against you'd change your mind." Ryoko told them.  
"Who are these two?" Washu asked.  
"Friends of Tenshi's. Makoto lives outside of Tokyo, and Aeiko is  
from space like us." Ryoko said. "We met at the festival a few weeks ago."  
"Who was it Tenchi, who did this?" Aeiko asked him.  
"Kagato, and some new allies he found. Very powerful allies."  
Tenchi told her.  
"I though you killed Kagato?" Makoto said in surprise.  
"So did I." Tenchi said.  
Ryoko teleport behind Tenchi and wrapped her arms around him. "If  
anybody can kill that bastard again, its my Tenchi." she purred.  
Aeiko looked out the windows of the living room and noticed the  
running lights of some very large ship. It had been snowing very hard  
outside and they did not see it as they walked up to the house.  
"You guys are leaving Earth?" she asked.  
"We're headed for Jurai. Everything point to it being the  
source of what happened, and I fear the royal family is oblivious to it." Washu said.  
"I only hope father and mother are alright." Sasami said. "And Mother Fonaho."  
"I am not sure if this new enemy could conquer Jurai, but if what  
Orrin told us was true they have a better chance at it than anybody   
else." Washu added.  
"I don't even want to think what would happen to the Galactic  
Union if Jurai ever fell." Kiyone said.  
"Yes, it would be catastrophic for the whole galaxy." Yosho said.  
"Are you looking to join us, Makoto?" Tenchi asked.  
"Aeiko showed me I have powers, but nowhere nearly as strong as  
yours Tenchi. I wouldn't be much help to you." Makoto said.  
"We could use somebody to look after the hosue for us." Noboyuki  
interjected.  
"We could stay here?" Makoto asked.  
"Sure, if you promise to watch over it for us." Tenchi said.  
"Sure, we will. Thanks. We have no where else to go anyway."   
Makoto said. "We dopn't even where my grandparents are anyway, our house was crushed  
by a quake."  
"Oh, I am sure they must be alright." Aeka said, concern and saddness in her  
voice.  
Later they said their goodbyes on the boarding ramp of the Yugami.  
After everyone else went into the ship Tenchi walked up to his two   
friends and whispered to them as he handed them a key to the floating onsen that  
Ryoko created years ago.  
"Don't do anything in there I wouldn't do." he told them with a wink and Aeiko  
suddenly blushed furiously.  
  
The two lovers watched in amazement as the red hulled Galaxy   
Police ship lifted off and roared away out of sight. In the heavy   
snowfall it did not take long for the ship to vanish. The ship shot  
into Earth orbit as soon as it left the atmosphere. Tenchi held  
Aeka and Ryoko close to him as they watched Earth receed from view.  
The others stood with tears in their eyes, with exception of Yosho,  
as they watched their home race away into the distance.  
"Course set for Jurai, Tenchi." Kiyone said.  
"Ok, lets go." he said pulling his wives closer to him.  
With a flash of bright, white light the GP cruiser Yugami made  
a jump into hyperspace.  
__________  
Chapter One - The Bond of Family...  
  
Emperor Asuza stood on a balcony on the outside of the great  
royal palace of Jurai and looked up into the azure sky. His thoughts  
went to his two daughters and one son who were living on a planet on  
the other side the galaxy. He thought about Tenchi also, and was  
beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake about the boy since he  
first visited that primitive blue planet. In his hand he held one  
of the latest reports from Galaxy Poilce Detective First Class Mihoshi.  
The report detailed the events of the capture the past few years  
since her last report after the defeat of Kagato. He read about the  
incident with Dr. Clay and Zero. Mihoshi's reports were very detailed,  
so he was reading a summarized version. It detailed how Zero was such  
a good copy of Ryoko that she inherited her feelings of love for Tenchi  
and it made her turn against her creator to protect him. Asuza laughed  
at that and started to wonder what Tenchi was really like to have some-  
one love him so strongly. The report went on to detail the long, drawn  
out period of Tenchi's stay in Tokyo, his relationship with Sakuya, and  
the encounter with Yugi that reunited all of them. The report finished  
off with a notation that Tenchi had started dating Aeka and Ryoko on a   
regular basis, but it ended there.  
Fonaho came out into the warmth of the sunlight on the balcony and  
put her arm around her husband. She read the same report and found it  
all very amuzing.  
"Aeka will not give up on Tenchi. She has too much of her father  
in her." she said.  
"Maybe I have misjudged that boy." Asuza said after a short   
silence. "I do not know what I could have been thinking."  
"Your finally admitting to it. I could have told you he was not  
after your throne." Fonaho said.  
"Yes, but I was angry then. Angry at Aeka for disobeying me,  
angry at that idiot Seiryou making a fool out of me, and angry..."  
he said but Fonaho cut him off with a kiss.  
"Angry that you are the emperor of the most powerful empire in the  
known universe and you can't even control your own daughter." she   
finished for him.  
"Damn, how do you do that?" he said hugging her close.  
"Its the Shinto in me, husband. My father was a priest just like  
Yosho is now." she said.  
Misaki joined them a few moments later and Asuza drew her to his   
side. She has a very worried look on her face.  
"What is it, dear one?" he asked her.  
"Asuza, I just learned that a massive explosion was detected in  
the region near Earth. There were also some very strange spacial   
readings also." Misaki said.  
"An explosion. What kind of explosion?" the emperor asked.  
"A very large one, perhaps a large starship." Misaki said.  
"Did we get any messages form the Guardians?" Fonaho asked now  
very concerned.  
"All communication with our daughter's guardians has been cut  
off." Misaki said on the verge of tears.  
"They have a Galaxy Poice detective living with them. Lets   
contact their headquarters and see if they heard anything." Asuza   
suggested.  
The three of them went to the private communications room of the  
royal family and Asuza keyed in the address for the GP Headquarters.  
A woman in a GP uniform appeared on a holoscreen. She seemed almost  
bored to tears in the job she was doing as a communications receptionist  
but she suddenly jumped out of her seat when she saw who it was on the   
line with her.  
"This is Emperor Asuza of the planet Jurai. I need to speak with  
one of your immediate supervisors about a matter of the uttmost  
urgency." he said.  
"Yes, your majesty. I have Marshal Tolas on for you." the woman  
said nervously and the image of a tall man with green hair appeared in  
her place.  
"Emperor Asuza, I am honored, what is the nature of your call?"  
Mashal Tolas asked.  
"Have any reports from Detective Mihoshi been received as of   
late?" he asked.  
"Yes, jsut recently, sire. We received a disturbing report about  
an attack against Earth. A new threat seems to have made its presence  
known and it tried to destroy the planet." the marshal said.  
"Great Tsunami!" Misaki cried.  
"It appears from the report that the scientist Washu and an  
unnamed prince thwarted the attack. I also have a reference here also  
which says that the infomous A1 criminal Kagato has returned as well."  
Marshal Tolas continued.  
"Kagato! But, it can't be. Tenchi, I mean, he's dead." Asuza   
said in shock.  
"Appearantly he is back, and he has joined forces with the ones  
who attacked Earth. We spoke with Detective Mihoshi and her new  
partner Detective Kiyone." the marshal said.  
"Anything about my two daughters?" the emperor asked.  
"Oh, yes. She does explain in one part that the Princess Aeka is  
now married to this Tenchi Masaki, and that the former Space Pirate  
Ryoko is also married to him. The report mentions something called  
the Great Bond." Marshal Tolas said with a confused face.  
"They didn't." Fonaho said stifling a laugh.  
"What!" Asuza shouted as he jumped to his feet.  
"Oh, our little girl is married!" Misaki beamed.  
"It clearly states in her report, sire. Tenchi Masaki, Princess  
Aeka, and Ryoko married in a ceremony called the Great Bond several   
weeks ago. I also appears that Ryoko is now pregnant with the child  
of Tenchi Masaki." Marshal Tolas said.  
"Did you hear that, we're going to have a great grand daughter  
or grandson." Fonaho said hugging Misaki.  
"The Great Bond, huh, so much for trying to find more suitors for  
Aeka." Asuza said in a very defeated voice. "The Great Bond can only occur  
if Tsunami approves of it."  
"Come now husband, you know she would never settle for anyone else  
but Yosho's grandson." Fonaho said.  
"This is the most disturbing part of the report. We planned on   
contacting you about this ourselves. I appears that planet Jurai was  
the source of a neutreno beam that opened a quantum rift in Earth space.  
That rift effected the orbit on the planet's single moon and alsmost  
sent it crashing into the planet." the marshal said.  
"Great Tsunami!" Misaki cried.  
"What happened? How did it stop?" Asuza asked, but somehow he  
already know the answer.  
"It appears to have taken a combined effort between several individuals, but  
Detective Mihoshi gives few details on who was involved." the Marshall said.  
"Thank you, Marshall Tolas. That was very informative. At least   
we know our children are safe." Asuza said to his wives.  
"The report said that Jurai was the source of the attack. Who  
would dare do such a thing?" Fonaho asked her husband.  
Asuza looked very angry at that moment. He tapped a control and  
the Marshal's face vanished. He looked at his two wives and through  
their own link he could feel their concern.  
"I sware I will find who did this and make them answer for it." he  
said.  
  
Several thousand lightyears away the Yugami raced through the   
stars. From the observation deck Tenchi watched the stars streak past  
as the ship travelled several times the speed of light. He still   
could not grasp the fact that he was now very far waway from Earth.  
A touch at the back of his mind brought him out of revere and he looked  
over at Aeka whose soft footsteps were almost too light for him to hear  
over the low hum from the systems onboard the ship.  
"Are you alright, Lord Tenchi?" she asked him, taking his arm.  
"I guess keeping secrets from each other will be pretty hard now,  
huh." he said smiling slightly.  
"That is the point of the Great Bond. There are no more secrets."  
Aeka said.  
Tenchi took her into his arms and kissed her lovingly. It seemed  
to last for several hours, their hands roving around each other's backs,  
and soft touch of each other's lips made them not want to break the contact.  
When they parted Aeka rest her head on his chest and Tenchi held her running   
his fingers through her hair. Aeka's fingers ran along the curve of Tenchi's   
back and it made memories of their first time return to her. Since that   
day they had little time to be together or be intimate. Tenchi sensed   
this through the link and he kissed her again, deeper, and held her closer to him.  
They retreated to their private room that Washu had made for them  
in pseudo-space. As the door closed they started to kiss each other  
rapidly, their hands working at their close to loosen them. Aeka gave  
out a soft moan as Tenchi's lips sent chills through her as he kissed   
her down her neck. Soon, they made their way to the bed, leaving a  
trail of cloths on the floor, and pulled the blankets over themselves.  
The world around Tenchi and Aeka came back into focus. Aeka lay  
on top of Tenchi panting, her body quiverying, and Tenchi's arms felt so  
warm and comforting as he held her. Before long, after a short kiss,  
they fell asleep in each others arms. Ryoko was in another part of the  
ship helping Sasami in the galley. She stopped stiring the stew they  
were making and a strange look came over her face. She staggered back  
for a second before catching herself with her free hand.  
"Are you ok Ryoko?" Sasami asked.  
"Its nothing, Tenchi and your sister are being naughty that's  
all." she said and smiled.  
"You mean that when they...that you....oh dear." Sasami said and  
her face turned blood red.  
"No. I just get the emotional backwash that's all. Alot goes  
through your mind when your...you know." Ryoko said.  
"Oh, I though you felt it too." Sasami said, her blush still  
in effect. Ryoko noticed that she was become more curious about such  
things lately. Perhaps it was a side effect to her body coming into  
young womanhood. The little princess was starting to show the first  
signs of "The Change", or Juraian puberty.  
"No. Now, you have plenty of time to think about those sorts of  
things later. Lets get this stew done." She said.  
"Ok. No! Ryu-Ohki, those carrots are for the stew!" Sasmai   
yelled as the cabbit-girl tried to grasp a large one from a bowl.  
Ryu-Ohki gave Sasami a very mornful look. "Miya. Hungry.  
Carrot." she said.  
"You'll have to wait with the rest of us." Sasami said in a very  
scolding voice.  
Ryu-Ohki scampered off to see what else she might be able to do to  
pass the time. When Sasami turned back to the stove she found Ryoko was  
looking at her on the verge of laughter.  
"What?" Sasami asked.  
"You, you look so funny when your angry." Ryoko said, and then she  
couldn't contain her laughter anymore.  
Sasami joined her in her laugh and they went back to working on   
dinner. Noboyuki and Yosho in the next room were playing a game of   
chess and heard everthing that was said. The two just smiled, happy to  
have such a loving, caring family around them.  
  
Ryoko later phased into the bedroom and lightly nudged Aeka and  
Tenchi awake.  
"Hey you two, warn me before you do that again. Your almost made  
me fall into Sasami's dinner." she said with a wide grin.  
"Uh, sorry about that, sweetie." Tenchi said kissing her softly.  
Ryoko hugged him close before he climbed out of bed. "It'll be  
my turn tonight, hmmm?" she purred.  
Tenchi replied by placing a kiss on her neck, sending shivers   
through her body.  
"That's enough, lover boy." Aeka said jokingly as she started  
picking up her clothes off the floor.  
"Hey, can't I admire our husband's hot bod for a while." Ryoko  
said.  
"Later, we'll make Sasami upset if we're late for dinner again."  
the princess said.  
"Your right, and we worked very hard on it." Ryoko said in a   
very seductive voice.  
"I'm sure you did. Lets go, I'm starved." Tenchi said. He  
climbed out of the bed, Ryoko whistled a cat call at him as he got   
dressed and both women tried to pinch his rear. Before they left their   
room Tenchi kissed both of his wives and they went out to the dining room.  
  
The dining room on the Yugami was built in the top observation  
level. The family could watch the stars stream past as they ate their  
dinners together. The dining room table was more traditional Low to  
the floor design that most Japanese homes had for enteraining guests  
with tea. A steaming hot crockery pot of stew that Sasami and Ryoko  
made sat in the middle of the table. Every soft cousion seat had a   
large bowl and Western style utensiles, as well as more traditional  
chopsticks. They all stood around the table and bowed to each other.  
Yosho said a short prayer over the food and then they all sat down.  
Tenchi sat at the head of the table flanked by Aeka and Ryoko,  
Yosho and Noboyuki sat at the other end. Sasami, Ryu-Ohki, and Washu  
on the left side of the table, while Mihoshi and Kiyone sat on the   
right.  
"Ryoko and I worked hard to make this. Its American style Beef  
Stew. I hope you like it." Sasami said as she started filling their  
bowls.  
"This is very good Sasami." Tenchi said.  
"Ryoko did most of the work, I just supervised." Sasami said.  
Tenchi leaned over and kissed Ryoko on the cheek. She blushed a  
bit and that made Aeka chuckle some. The thought that Ryoko could  
actually cook dinner without poisoning them all was funny to her.  
"Hey!" Ryoko said looking at Aeka with a hurt expression.  
"Sorry, old habit." Aeka said with a smile.  
"This really is very good. Maybe you should let Sasami give  
you more cooking lessons." Tenchi said.  
"Since you really like it, I think I will. Would you mind  
teaching me, Sasami?" Ryoko asked.  
"Sure, your a very fast learner. Would you be interested in some  
cooking lessons, Aeka?" Sasami asked.  
"Well, I'd like to have the opportunity to cook for Lord Tenchi from  
time to time, I think I will also." the princess said.  
"Boy, it sure is good you two are getting along for once." Mihoshi  
said.  
"They don't have anything to fight over anymore." Washu told her.  
"Yes, I guess we have a new understand for one another. After  
all we did relive each other's memories." Aeka said.  
"It is good to see the family pulling together, especially now  
in our current situation." Yosho said calmly.  
"We agreed to go to Jurai, but what do we do when we get there?"  
Kiyone asked.  
"We may have to wait and see what is happening there first."  
Washu said.  
"We're flying in blind, you know that." Kiyone said looking at  
Tenchi.  
"I thought we'd be used to that by now." Tenchi said as he  
scratched the back of his head. Everybody face faultered.  
"I guess its too late to turn back now. No use crying over  
spilled milk and all." Noboyuki said.  
"I already know what I'm going to do when I find Kagato." Tenchi  
said, his voice was dripping with venom.  
Ryoko put her arms around Tenchi and layed her head on his   
shoulder. Since living through Ryoko's memories of her life under the  
monster Kagato, Tenchi developed an uncharacteristic hatred for him. It  
was worse, Ryoko knew, after they learned Kagato was still alive.  
"I love you for wanting to avenge me, but don't get yourself   
killed in the process." she pleaded.  
Tenchi reached up and caressed her cheek lovingly at the same time  
he took Aeka's hand and squeezed it lightly. "I promise I will never   
leave either of you." he said.  
"What if we meet more of those Darkling thingies?" Sasami asked.  
"We have those modifications Prince Orrin gave Washu, right."  
Noboyuki said.  
"They won't be enough. The modifications to our current weapons  
are enough to help us escape, but the Yugami will not survive a straight  
on attack." Washu said calmly.  
"Even Kryton couldn't stand up to them, and it was built using   
that magical technology stuff." Mihoshi interjected. Washu and everyone else  
were amazed at how the usually bubbled headed blonde somehow seemed to get the  
point.  
"Etherealology. Orrin left me several lengthy files to help us  
out, but Yugami would have to be rebuilt using it to be effective in a  
fight." Washu said.  
"That would take up time we do not have the luxury of having."  
said Yosho.  
"You hit it on the nose, Prince Yosho." Washu said smiling at him.  
"Do you have any more information about that beam that came from  
Jurai?" Aeka asked.  
"Not much more. I'll learn more once we get to Jurai and we can   
start to search for the source in that forest." Washu said.  
"The forest you said it originated from is vast, one of the   
largest regions of undeveloped land on all of Jurai." Aeka said.  
"You can bet that they will probably be trying to get rid of the  
evidence before we get there." Kiyone said after taking a spoonful of  
stew. "Mmmmmm. This is good." Ryoko beamed her a smile.  
"You might be right. We can hope that some residual particles  
are left behind." Washu said. Eveyone gave her an uncomprehending stare but  
she ignored it.  
"We can also hope they haven't done anything with the Royal  
Family." Tenchi said.  
"I hope mommy and daddy are alright, do you think they're ok,  
Tenchi?" Sasami asked.  
"I think so, your father didn't strike me as the kind of person  
to take anything lying down." Tenchi said.  
Sasami was satisfied with that answer and they continued the rest of  
their dinner in silence. Afterwards, Ryoko help Sasami clear the table  
and clean the dishs. They all met again in the living room, a large  
area twice the size of the one at the Masaki house, and they turned on  
a Kareoke machine that Washu had made for them.  
Ryoko started into a tune of Robert Miles' "One on One", to Tenchi her voice  
was like a autumn breeze, and he drifted along with the words of the  
song like the leaves do in the Fall. Afterwords, Aeka took the mic  
and sang a beautiful Jurai love ballad that Tenchi had never heard  
before. The song seemed to take him into another world. He was  
floating on a sea of pure love holding Aeka in his arms. When the  
song was done she kissed him for what seemed a millenium.  
"Come up for air you two, its Sasami's turn." Ryoko said with  
a laugh.  
Sasami sang "I am a Pioneer" and received uproarious applause  
when she was done. Mihoshi and Kiyone got up and sang "Ebony and Ivory"  
together. They spent their whole afternoon like this for several hours  
taking turns on the Kareoke machine until Sasami started to yawn and   
drift off to sleep on the couch in Tenchi's lap.  
"Poor dear, she's worn out." Aeka said.  
"I'll carry her to bed." Tenchi said as he carefully picked up the  
little princess in his arms. In her sleep Sasmai wrapper her arms   
around his neck. Tenchi carried her to her and Ryu-Ohki's room and  
layed her down. After tucking her into bed he kissed her on the fore-  
head and than gave Ryu-Ohki a similar one since she was still in cabbit-  
girl form.  
When he closed the door Ryoko materialized behind him and wrapped  
her arms around him.  
"Aeka is helping Kiyone on the bridge, which means we have the room  
to ourselves for awhile." Ryoko purred.  
"Sounds nice." Tenchi said reaching back to run his finger through  
Ryoko's hair.  
Ryoko teleported them to their room and Tenchi turned down the   
lights. He slowly started to untie the ribbons of Ryoko's kimono, and  
Ryoko slowly opeed the front of his shirt and was kissing him down his  
chest at the same time.  
Ryoko put her arms around Tenchi, letting her body touch his, and  
they kissed each other passionately.  
"Sometimes I think all this is a dream. I keep expecting to wake  
up and find Aeka at my throat again and you pushing me away." she   
whispered into his ear.  
"When I used to push you away, I secretly wanted to do this." he  
said as he picked her up and carried to her to the bed.  
Tenchi and Ryoko were in their own world. There was nothing  
beyond the sensation of their bodies press together. Their hands   
roved about probing each other's bodies, their libs met with sweet  
kisses. Tenchi was kissing Ryoko down her neck as she wrapped her legs  
around his waist. Just as their passion for each other was reaching a   
fever pitch a loud tone came from the room's intercom.  
The two lovers stopped, panting to catch their breath from the   
exursion of love making as the intercom beeped again.  
Ryoko reached over and slammed her fist down on the button.  
"This had better be gond." she said as Tenchi softly kissed her   
down one shoulder.  
"Pleae forgive me for interrupting your private time, but I think  
you and Tenchi better get up here to the bridge." came Aeka's voice with   
an edge of fear in it. "I would have mentally contact you but you were blocking  
me out."  
Immediately, Tenchi and Ryoko let go of the wall they errected   
around their minds and suddenly left the alarm that Aeka was feeling.  
"We're on our way." Tenchi said as he leaped out of bed.  
  
Ryoko phased back into her kimono while Tenchi threw on some   
cloths. He didn't bother putting on any shoes and Ryoko teleported them  
to the bridge. They appeared next to Aeka who hugged them both for  
forgiveness, and then turned towards the main viewscreen of the Yugami.  
A large fleet of strange spacecraft were advancing on the Yugami at  
flank speed. The alien craft looked almost organic and crablike. Wahsu  
was on the bridge also and she recognized them immediately.  
"Darkling ships." she said.  
"Damn." Kiyone spat.  
"We can't take that many by ourselves." Washu said.  
"When did you spot them?" Tenchi asked.  
"Just now, but I am not sure if they noticed us or not."   
Kiyone said.  
The advancing ships indeed did not seem to notice the Yugami as  
they streked past. Washu watched them nervously.  
"They probably don't consider us much of a threat." Kiyone said  
in relief.  
  
Onboard the lead Darkling ship, the commander stood on the bridge  
in humanoid form. He swore for a moment that he felt, sensed, Elo-Quin  
magic a few moments ago. He looked at the various holographic screens  
on the bridge and noticed a single ship. They had just passed it, but  
its armaments were no match for theirs, and thus they did not consider  
the ship a threat. He looked at their readings again and this time he  
noticed the Ethereal signature they were giving off. That ship was the  
source of his sensation.  
Using a stolen access code form a Galaxy Police officer they had  
embraced into the fold, the commander punched up the registrtion of the  
ship. The information about the Yugami appeared on the screen and then  
information about where it has been station recently appeared. The  
commander's eyes went wide when he recognized the name of the planet it  
waas stationed at...Earth. Images of Tenchi and the rest of the family  
appeared on the screen with detailed information about them.  
"Bring us about! I want that ship!" he ordered immediately.  
  
"AHHHH!!! I think we spoke too soon!" Mihoshi screamed.  
Sure enough, one of the ships broke from the group of vesels and  
made straight for them.  
"Mihoshi! We need a course, any course!" Kiyone cried as her   
hands flew over the consoles  
"Oh, I don't know. Where could we go, I'm so scared. Wah!"  
Mihoshi shouted.  
"Just give me a heading so we can get out of here!" Kiyone   
yelled.  
Mihoshi's hands flew over the console in a manner that almost   
made Washu jealous. Instantly a set of coordinates appeared on   
Kiyone's screen. "About time! Hang on everybody we're going into  
hyperspace!" she shouted as she slammed the engines into full  
power. The Yugami shot into hyperspace again. Ryoko grabbed both  
Tenchi and Aeka to keep them from flying across the bridge. On the  
screen they could see the Darkling ship following them.  
"They're following us, Kiyone!" Mihoshi cried.  
  
The Darkling ship started opening fire on the Yugami. The ship  
was rocked by several energy blasts that defected off of the modified  
shields. Everyone was knocked off their feel who were standing. The  
ship caught up with the Yugami but suddenly the automated guns on the  
ship started to fire back using Washu's modifications. The beams  
hit the Darkling ship doing some damage, but not enough to effect the  
vessel adversely.  
"We're going to get our clocks cleaned by that thing!" Kiyone  
yelled as she grabbed her console to keep from being thrown across  
the bridge.  
"Take us out of hyperspace!" Ryoko shouted.  
"What!" everyone else shouted.  
"You heard, me! Take us out of hyperspace." she shouted.  
Kiyone pulled back on the throatle and the Yugami dropped out of   
hyperspace. The Darkling ship almost missed the move and dropped out  
just past them. It was turning around to start firing at them again.  
Ryoko powered up all her gems and phased into her battlesuite.  
Tenchi and Aeka both sensed what she was about to do and they tried to  
grab her before she teleported away.  
"Oh, God! Please be careful Ryoko!" Tenchi yelled after her.  
Aeka felt Tenchi's distress and she held him close to her. She did  
her best to calm him down, but the thought of one of the two people  
he loved most in his life risking their lives was distressing to him.  
Ryoko teleported outside the Yugami and into open space. She  
was the only member of the crew who couold survive exposure to the  
vacumm of space itself. She summoned the power of the gems again to  
their highest level and six bright Light Hawk Wings formed out of her  
body. Ryoko took two of the wings into her hands and manifested two  
Light Hawk Swords. Then, letting out a battlecry she streaked towards  
the oncoming ship. Ryoko hit the front of the ship at full speed, her  
light hawk swords cutting into the organic armor. She tore through the  
rest of the ship, cutting a straight line through the interior of the  
great ship. She emerged on the other side as several explosiions began  
to go off under the armored hull. Large blisters formed in the tough  
armor of the ship, but soon even this was not enough to hold back the  
force of the blasts taking place inside. Ryoko teleported back to the  
bridge of the Yugami as the Darkling ship errupted into a ball of   
expanding gases.  
"Oh my God." Kiyone said as she watched the ship go up in a   
titanic blast. The shockwave rocked the Yugami slightly, but then  
it was gone.  
"Don't ever do that again!" Tenchi yelled at Ryoko as he grabbed  
her into his arms.  
"I'm sorry. It was sort of spur of the moment. I promise to  
tell you next time." she said.  
"You scared the shit out me." Tenchi said still holding her, but  
holding her tighter.  
Ryoko and Aeka felt Tenchi's relief that she was alright, but a  
part of his fear they felt dealt with the fact that Ryoko now carried  
his baby inside her. Aeka walked up and layed her head on Tenchi's  
shoulder. He put his arm around her as well and drew both of his   
wives into his embrace.  
[We shouldn't have gone on this flight. We are over our heads.  
That was one ship, what will we do if we fight a whole fleet.] he  
said to them in his mind.  
[Tenchi. I know your fear, and I tood was afraid because I would  
have truely felt lost if Ryoko didn't return to us.] Aeka said.  
[Is that true, Aeka?] Ryoko asked.  
[Yes. I love you, your my best friend, my sister in marriage  
with Lord Tenchi, and you carry his child.] Aeka replied.  
"I'm sorry." Ryoko cried just then.  
"Give us some warning first OK, and don't block such things from  
us either." Tenchi said.  
"Ok." Ryoko said resting her head on his chest.  
"Its not too much of a far gone conclusion that the rest of those  
Darkling ships will be after us." Kiyone said.  
"Try to get us as far away from them as possible. We can't afford  
to get into a fight with more than one of those things." Tenchi said.  
"That will take us way out of our way." Kiyone said.  
"Better that then get into a fire fight we are not equiped for."  
Aeka told her.  
Kiyone eased the throtle open on the Yugami's engines and sent the  
ship into motion again. They traveled for several hours on a course that  
took them as far away from the Darkling fleet as possible. Washu's sensors  
detected that the other Darkling ships did indeed investigate the battle,   
but the Yugami was long gone by then.  
  
Kagato paced back and forth trying to figure out the latest news he received.  
The Regis stood in her child form not far away watching his every move. The news  
he received had been of the destruction of one of their ships, and it appeared to  
have been done by a ship that was equiped with magical weaponry. He never heard  
of such a ship, except for the Tsunami. It was when the data from the data  
recorder of the destroyed ship was recovered that he knew who was responsible.  
After they escaped the destruction of the Soja, which was a major setback but  
not a total loss, they commandeered a large battlescruiser from the Galaxy Police.  
Kagato had the ship retrofitted with Darkling technology and a few additions of his  
own. He also had the databanks loaded with data he salvaged from the Soja the  
first time it had been destroyed.p  
"What do they hope to accomplish going into space?" he asked body in particular.  
"They think they can stop us." the Regis said.  
"They think wrong." Kagato said quickly.  
The Regis replayed the video of Ryoko surrounded by the Wings of the Light  
Hawk attacking the ship.  
"This power is unlike anything I have seen before." she said.  
"The Light Hawk Wings, the only thing they have that can stand up against  
us and the boy Masaki and Ryoko are the only ones who can summon them, except for  
any ship of Jurai and the starship Tsunami." he explained.  
"Fascinating." the Regis said.  
"They must be heading for Jurai." Kagato said in sudden realization. "Washu  
must have discovered the beam."  
"It is of no consequence, once they do reach Jurai it will be too late for them  
to do anything." the Regis said. "Assuming they live to reach the planet."  
Kagato stopped pacing and turned his attention to a starmap that was displayed  
to show were the ship was destroyed.  
"They are close to the Dead Zone." he said. "But would not be so foolish as  
to venture there."  
"What is this Dead Zone?" the Regis asked.  
"A large region of space made spacially unstable due to the close proximity of  
multiple blackholes." he said.  
"Could they have ventured into such a place to avoid us?" the Regis asked.  
"Perhaps, but its extremely dangerous." he told her.  
"We shall see, dispatch a few ships to patrol around the region they will  
most likely emerge from." she said.  
  
After several hours Kiyone gave out a gasp and everyone was  
brought out of their revere. They looked at the viewscreen of the Yugami  
and before them was a ominous sight. The region of space ahead of them  
was a massive nebula cloud with large energy discharges go off inside  
it. The cloud was unmoing, its gargantuan movements inperceptable to  
all but Washu's analytical eyes. The bright discharges of energy in  
the nebula did light up the region of space the Yugami occupied for  
brief moments of time.  
"That is beautiful, what is it Washu?" Mihoshi asked.  
"Its the Zeltori Nebula, or more accurately, its the leading edge of  
the Dead Zone." Washu said.  
"What's the Dead Zone?" Tenchi asked.  
"Glad you asked Tenchi. On Earth they call a place like this the  
Burmuda Triangle or Devil's Triangle. Its a region of space where the  
fabric of reality is in constant quantum flux. Anything from timewarps  
to dimensional rifts could form in there. Its a no mans land." Washu  
said.  
"Its not totally unsafe. Pirates and smugglers used safe passages  
through the Dead Zone for centuries. Kagato used to come here all the  
time. I know this place like the back of my hand." Ryoko said.  
"There is a safe way into the malestrom about half a light year  
from here." Ryoko said as she looked over the star charts on Mihoshi's  
screen.  
"We can't go in there." Aeke said.  
"Would you rather we be hunted down by those things, I'd rather  
deal with the riff-raff we're liable to run into inside there than  
those monsters again." Ryoko said.  
"Ryoko's right, and the Dead Zone stretches for nearly one  
hundred light years in the direction we need to go to get to Jurai."  
Washu said.  
Ryoko set the course on Mihoshi's console and Kiyone saw it  
appear on hers. "I hope you know what the hell your doing, because I  
don't." Kiyone said.  
"Your a good pilot, and only the best ones dare to try and fly  
the entry routes into the Dead Zone." Ryoko said.  
Kiyone cracked her knuckles and put her hands to the consle. She  
looked up at Tenchi who looked down at her with brotherly love and trust  
in her abilitikes.  
"You can do it. We can't fight our way through, so we might as  
well sneak through." he said.  
"Your a brave man, Tennchi." Kiyone said as she started working  
the console.  
The Yugami slowly started its approach towards the entrance to the  
Dead Zone. Slowly Kiyone brought the ship around to where it could pass  
through into the first leg of the trip into the interior of the   
malestrom. As the ship broke the surface tnesioon of the heavy cloud  
the ship shuttered slightly and then vanished into the thick gasses  
of the nebula.   
__________  
End of Chapter One...to be continued  
  
Next time...  
Chapter Two: The Dead Zone...  
Tenchi and the gang have entered the infamous Dead Zone to escape the  
Darklings, but did they jump out of the frying pan and into the fire when they run  
into a vicous cosmic storm.  
Chapter Three: The Pirate City...  
Yugami is damaged and without repairs the journey to Jurai will be over, so  
Tenchi and the gang risk a trip to a legendary city of the space pirates in the  
Dead Zone. Things are complicated by the appearance of one of Ryoko's old rivals  
who is out to settle and old score.   
  
If you enjoyed this fan fic series let me know at zorch@the-zorch.com.  
Remember to check out GenSao's Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction Archives for this  
and more great fan fics at http://www.tmffa.com and remember to visit my  
fan site 


	2. The Dark Lord of Jurai - Episode 2: Chap...

DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and character names from Tenchi  
Muyo, TMil, and Shin Tenchi are property of Pioneer and AIC. This  
work of fiction is written for fan appreciation only. Please do  
not sue me.   
__________  
NOTES: This work of fan fiction is based in the OAV continuity of  
Tenchi Muyo and borrows some elements from Tenchi Universe such as Nagi,  
the Yugami, and also borrows from Shin Tenchi Muyo to introuducing Yugi,  
Sakuya, and Ryu-Ohki's mech form into the story. I have also introduced   
some new characters and creations into the mix. I hope you enjoy the   
series as much as I enjoyed working on it.  
__________  
THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA  
  
Episode Two: No Need for A Space Journey  
  
Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney  
__________  
Previously...  
  
The aftermath of the Darkling attempt to destroy the Earth left everything in  
shanbles. Chaos reins across the globe, but the residents of the Masaki household  
are not ready to give up. They make preparations and board the Yagami for the long  
journey to planet Jurai, but it proves to be a dangerous one as the Darklings make  
an appearance. To avoid any further encounters with the powerful beings, Tenchi  
and the gang choose to venture into the dangerous Dead Zone. We last leave our  
travellers as they enter this intergalactic no-man's-land...  
  
__________  
Chapter Two: The Dead Zone  
  
The Yagami was buffeted about by the powerful eddies inside the nebula cloud.  
Kiyone did all she could to stay one the course she was given by Ryoko to navigate  
into the treacherous region called the Dead Zone. Her hands few over the controls  
so fast they seem to blur. This goes on for several minutes, but to those on the  
bridge of Yagami it seemed like hours. Finally the ship broke free of the outer  
layers of nebula cloud and pentrated into the interior regions. Here the inside of  
the cloud was blow up like a titanic ballon in space. A dozen small star-like forms  
hung in space before them shining with a brillient light.  
"That is an awesome sight." Tenchi said.  
"The womb of stars. Its here inside of a nebula that suns are born our of the  
corpse of a star that died." Washu said, her face will with awe.  
"I had a small window in my cell on the Soja. Whenever Kagato left me there  
he would release me from his control and I used to look outside. This was the only  
thing of beauty I was allowed to enjoy." Ryoko said with her head laying on Tenchi's  
shoulder. Her comment made a hatred for Kagato well up in Tenchi's soul. She  
felt it through her link with him and she kissed him softly on the cheek. Aeka,  
who was also linked with Tenchi and Ryoko clenched her fists in anger. Since she  
bonded with Tenchi and Ryoko, thus become Tenchi's wife as did Ryoko, she began to  
looked upon her former rival as a dear friend....almost a sister. What made it all   
worse was the fact that Kagato was still alive and he nearly succeeded in killing  
billions of people on the Earth.  
"Its amazing such a beautiful place is also one of the most dangerous."  
Kiyone commented.  
"It will be pretty smooth sailing from here, but once we exit the other side  
of the nebula we will have to skirt past a few blackholes." Ryoko told her.  
"Damn. I hate blackholes, they always make me nervous." Kiyone said.  
"There isn't any other way in?" Tenchi asked.  
"There are many ways to get into the Dead Zone. This is one of less known  
routes. The Dead Zone doesn't have an impassible wall around it, but you have to  
travel through specific routes your could end up in the event horizon of a black-  
hole, get stuck in a time-loop in a temporal enomili, or fall into a quantum rift  
into another dimension. This region is full of blackholes, and they are causing  
all of this." Washu told them.  
"And we are actually going into that." Aeka said.  
"Its safe when you follow the right routes, like we are." Ryoko said.  
"Pirates, rogues, and smugglers use this place as a safe haven. There  
is supposed to be a city at the center. Its just a legend though." Kiyone said.  
"That city is no legend. Its exists." Ryoko told her.  
"You three can go, I know the routes through here too." Washu said.  
Tenchi took his wive's hands and lead them out of the bridge. They   
made their way back to the subpace pocket inside the Yagami where the family  
rooms where kept. Sasami was sitting with Yosho staring at a chessboard. She  
made a move with her knight and jumped up.  
"Checkmate!" she cheered.  
"My, that is the third time in a row. You are getting good at this, Sasami."  
Yosho said calmly.  
The young princess blushed and giggled. "I've been taking lessons from   
Ryoko." she said.  
"I thought I recognized a few of those moves." he said with a rare grin.  
"What was all that banging around a moment ago, Tenchi?" Noboyuki from the  
couch were he was reading a book.  
"We ran into some Darkling ships, so we are going into the Dead Zone to  
evade them." Tenchi said.  
"Only the foolish enter the Dead Zone on purpose." Yosho commented.  
"Washu and Ryoko know safe routes through it." Aeka said.  
"What is the Dead Zone?" Noboyuki asked, almost afraid to ask.  
"A kind of Bermuda Triangle in space, a dangerous region if you don't know  
what your doing." Yosho said.  
"Mom knows the way as well as I do. She got the info from me." Ryoko said.  
"Lets just try to relax and pray that nothing else happens to come up" Tenchi  
said. They all nodded in agreement and Aeka and Ryoko kissed him on either cheek.  
  
Mihoshi was snoozing away peacefully in her seat dreaming about Kareoke bars,  
snacks, and Kiyone. Kiyone herself was watching the controls like a hawk, but  
Washu was more placid. She sat on her levetating seat and typed away on her holo-  
computer. Hours went by and nothing very interesting happened, but Kiyone was  
glad it was so peaceful. It gave the Galaxy Policewoman time to reflect, time to   
think. Life had become so fast, so hectic, that she barely had time for herself  
anymore. While she kept her eyes on the controls to make sure Yagami did not  
drift off course she also looked at the beautiful scenary outside the ship. The  
colors and lights inside the gigantic cloud of dust that was the corpse of a star  
was beautiful. It made her reflect on her own life, and from where she was sitting  
it was pretty messed up. Aeka and Ryoko were happy, they both got the man of their  
dreams, but she was still alone. She never imagined ever being in a relationship  
before, but after Tenchi and the girls married it reminded her just how lonely  
she was. She had Mihoshi for companionship, but that is as far as it went. She was  
sure what homeworld Mihoshi came from, but on her world a relationship between two  
women that went beyond being friends was frowned upon, but Kiyone loved Mihoshi like  
she was a sister anyway.  
Washu was busy soaking in the valuable data on the life cycle of stars and  
the blackholes on the other side of the nebula. She knew just about everyting about  
blackholes and the birth of stars, but they were subjects she never got tired of. It  
also helped her keep her mind off of Orrin. For the first two days after he left  
to return to his own universe, she cried herself to sleep. She often wondered how  
he was doing, if he succeeded in getting the Imperium thrown out of the council. She  
actually got very little work done since he left, and it was good to get back into  
her research. She started to wonder if she would one day find love like that ever  
again. It was the second time in her immensely long life that she lost someone she  
loved, but this time it was for the best that he did leave. Orrin had a different  
destiny from her own, he was the chosen champion of a powerful race of beings who  
long ago discovered that Magic could be explained scientificly. The result of that  
was a terrible war with a race of creatures who would one day travel to another  
dimension and threaten to send the moon crashing into the planet Earth where the   
Masaki house was standing. The Juraian people where this dimension's cloest  
equivolent to the Elo'Quin from Orrin universe, and it was likely that they are also  
decended from the Elo'Quin in some manner. Washu wrote a mental note to herself to   
corner Sasami one day and get Tsunami to come out and answer some questions about  
it. Until then she had to be content with her own theories.  
"They sure look happy." Kiyone said.  
"Hmm. What was that?" Washu asked.  
"Aeka and Ryoko, they sure look happy don't they." Kiyone said.  
"They both have what they always wanted. What made you say that?" Washu   
asked her.  
"I guess I'm just a tad bit jealous. I had a little crush on Tenchi you  
know." she said.  
"Your not the only one. Did you know that I tried to get a sperm sample from  
him once...dressed in a sexy nurse's uniform." Washu said with a sly smile.  
"Mihoshi told me about that one day after we were reunited." Kiyone said.  
"I was pretty bold then. I almost practically raped the poor boy." Washu  
chuckled.  
"From what Mihoshi told me about those days you were probably standing in  
line to do that. She told me this story one time about when Aeka and Ryoko ticked  
her into going back into space just so they could try and be alone with him." Kiyone  
said with a giggle.  
"Those were two wet fools that didn't know how to knock." Washu said before  
bursting out in laughter.  
"I wish I could have been there to see their faces when they climbed out of  
the lake." Kiyone laughed.  
"What made it funnier was that Aeka was the one that setup that force field  
in the first place. Ha!" Washu laughed.  
"Boy, I sure did miss alot of the fun. I wish I could have met all of you  
much earlier." Kiyone said.  
"You missed out little encounter wtih Mr. Octopus Head, and then there was  
the arrival of the Royal Family at the house." Washu said.  
"I met Dr. Clay after I was found. They were taking him to a questioning  
area." Kiyone said. "He kept saying something about Tokimi."  
"She is my sister, as is Tsunami. I was once a goddess just like them, but I  
gave up my divinity to become human. I guess I should have left well enough alone."  
Washu said, a little more quietly.  
"I heard about that, but I didn't really thing much of it." Kiyone said.  
"I regained my memories of being a goddess sometime ago before you joined  
us." Washu told her.  
"I never did have such a good conversation with you before. You always seem  
so..." Kiyone said trying to find the words.  
"Self-centered, egotistical, shall I go on." Washu said.  
"I wouldn't say that." Kiyone said.  
Washu put her hand on her chest in Gone With the Wind style. "Its hard to be  
hunble when your the best in the universe." she said.  
"Your the best Washu! Your the greatest!" cried Washu bots A and B.  
Kiyone and Washu almost both fell over laughing. A and B looked at them and  
at each other and shrugged.  
Just at that moment it seemed as if the whole ship suddenly shook and lurched  
to one side. Washu and Kiyone screamed and grabbed each other as they tried to keep  
from being thrown into a bulkhead. Mihoshi screamed as she fell from her seat and   
blind luck had it that she landed on her rump and slid along the floor until she  
smacked into a wall. She looked up at Kiyone and Washu who were picking each other  
up off the floor in dazed surprise and fear.  
"What the hell was that?" Washu asked just a another lurch nearly sent her  
flying, but Kiyone grabbed her arm and the back of her chair at the same time.  
Kiyone jumped into her seat and strapped in. She looked up at the forward  
viewer and gasped. A hail of meteoroids, some small and some not so small where  
hurling past the ship at frightening speed. Washu was on her seat and was typing  
away at her holocomputer.  
"According to Ryoko's memory there are no asteroid fields in this area."  
she said.  
"What's going on, Kiyone?" Mihoshi asked as she climbed to her feet.  
"Srap in Mihoshi, we're in for a blumpy ride." Kiyone replied as her hands  
few over the controls.  
  
Back in the crew section of the Yagami everyone was climbing back to their  
feet. The second lurch sent Sasami flying but Yosho caught her. Chess pieces were  
everywhere and pottery that doecorated the room was smashed. Tenchi held Aeka  
steady as she stood up and Ryoko just hovered in place. A third and more violent  
lurch struck the ship and eveeryone except Ryoko went flying. Ryoko teleported  
instantly and caught Tenchi and Aeka before they slammed head first into a wall.  
Yosho grabbed Sasami and Noboyuki after doing a summersault, and Ryu-Ohki just  
held onto the front of Sasami's kimono for dear life.  
"We're under attack!" Aeka screamed.  
"I scared!" Sasami cried.  
"Miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki agreeing witb Sasami.  
"That wasn't a laser blast, something hit us!" Ryoko shouted after a fourth  
lurch.  
Ryoko put Aeka and Tenchi down on the floor near where the cushons of the  
sofa had fallen and teleported. She materialized on the bridge of the Yagami which  
was in total chaos. Kiyone was fighting with the cotrols, Mihoshi was weeping  
rivers of tears, and Washu was franticly typing at her holocomputer.  
"Oh, shit!" Kiyone cried as she fought the controls and narrowly kept the  
Yagami from splattering itself onto a gigantic asteroid.  
"Are we off course?" Ryoko asked.  
"No, we aren't, but that asteroid field is." Kiyone said.  
"There is no asteroid field in this sector of the nebula." Ryoko replied.  
"Its been 2,700 years since you where last here. Alot can happen in that  
time." Washu said.  
"Can you get us out of it, Kiyone?" Ryoko asked.  
"We are almost clear of the nebula, we can try to get out of it then." Kiyone  
replied.  
"Dammit! I found the problem, and we're in trouble." Washu cursed.  
Ryoko floated over and looked at the display her Washu's holocomputer. She  
saw a schematic of the nebula, but a large blotch of red was passing through it and  
stretched a great distance out into space. It seemed to almost reach where the  
blackholes were. The scale on the screen was measured in lightyears.  
"What is that, mom?" Ryoko asked.  
"Its a Cosmic Storm. A very large and powerful one." Washu told her.  
"What's a cosmic storm?" Tenchi asked as he entered the bridge.  
"A massively concentrated confligration of negatively and positively charged  
ion particles, theta radioation, and eletromagnetic waves that result in spacial  
and gravitational abnormalities." Washu explained.  
Tenchi just looked at her and blinked.  
Washu sighed. "A really nasty storm in space that can rip this ship apart  
like a cotton ball in a blender." she said.  
"I really didn't want to hear that." Tenchi said scratching the back of his  
head.  
"Well, looks like we have to ride it out. If I change course any we could get  
caught in the gravity of one of several black holes in the area." Kiyone said.  
"Can we make it through?" Tenchi asked looking at Washu.  
"I can boost Yagami's shields, but beyond that I'd have to work on it." she  
said.  
"Thank you. Do your best, I'll let everyone else know." he said.  
[Aeka.] Tenchi said in his mind.  
[What is going on?] she asked in his mind.  
[Cosmic storm. We're in for a bumpy ride so let everyone else know.] he  
told her.  
[I've been through one of these on the Soja once with Kagato. Its going to  
get really bumpy.] Ryoko said joining their mental converstation.  
  
The ship lurched in different directions as Kiyone dodge around larege  
asteroids and smaller meteoroids. Finally the ship made it out of the field of  
debris, but the sparkling cloud of the cosmic storm was approaching. The storm  
breached the nebula and stretched for several light years beyond. The sight was  
beautiful and frightening all at the same time.  
"How could something so beautiful be so deadly?" Tenchi asked.  
Ryoko laid her head on his shoulder. "I guess I have something in common  
with cosmic storms." she said.  
Tenchi smiled at her and kissed her lightly.  
"Cosmic storms are rare, but when they break out its spectacular." Washu  
said.  
Washu was typing at her conoole like made, Her full concentration was being  
focused on the task, but her multitasking abiltiies still allowed her to interact  
with those around her. She looked up and did not stop typing. There was a bright  
flash outside the ship, and space seemed to waver slightly as if seen through   
rippling water.  
"I enhanced the shields a little. My robots from the lab added an additional  
quantum sigularity reactor to the engine room to power the shield system, and yes  
I incorporated some Etherealology into the design." Washu said with a very pleased  
look on her face.  
"Will it hold that off?" Kiyone asked as she pointed to the rapidly  
approaching storm.  
"That is hard to tell. It depends on the intensity of the storm." she  
replied. "I can see if we can plot a course through less intense areas."  
"Please." Kiyone said.  
Mihoshi sat in her seat looking rather dazed at the storm. She turned towards  
the others with a frightened look on her face. She was terrified and was shaking  
violently. Tenchi went to her side and she latched onto him crying.  
"Don't take us in there! Please! Please!" she cried.  
"Its going to be ok, Mihoshi." Tenchi said calm as he held her.  
"No its not! No its not! I lost Tomarro in a cosmic storm! Please, Tenchi!"  
Mihoshi cried.  
Tenchi looked over to Kiyone who suddenly got a very sad look on her face.  
"That was one of Mihoshi's old partners. She was killed when they got  
caught in a cosmic storm." she said.  
"Mihoshi, none of us are going to die. Ok. We're going to be alright. I  
promise." he said as he rocked her back and forth.  
"You promise?" she asked in a voice like that of a child.  
"I promise." he said.  
Mihoshi took her seat back and was still a little shook up.  
"I read her record before becoming her partner. She was so shook up over it  
that she was out of service for three months." Kiyone said.  
"Poor thing." Tenchi said, still holding the shaken policewoman's hand. "May-  
be you should go and stay with the others, ok." he said to Mihoshi.  
"Thank you." she said weakly, kissed him on the cheek and left in a hurry.  
Tenchi felt a twinge at the back of his mind, and he turned to see Ryoko  
staring holes through the back of Mihoshi's head.  
[Behave, there was nothing to that.] he told her.  
Ryoko smiled at him. "Sorry, old habit, sweetie." she said.  
"Uh ho." Washu said then.  
"What now?" Temchi asked.  
"The shield will help to protect the ship from the forces of the storm, but  
the radiation is another story." she said.  
"Yagami has radiation shielding in the hull." Kiyone said.  
"Not for this level of radiation it doesn't. That storm is a magnitude 8 out  
of a maximum 10." Washu said.  
"That's Mag 8 Cosmic Storm!" Kiyone shouted.  
"No need to shout now." Washu said as she continued to type.  
"I've seen giant star cruiser get torn to shreads in a Mag 8 storm!" Kiyone  
exclaimed. "And you want us to fly through it!"  
"We can survive it, if we're careful. No comsic storm is going to get the  
better of the greatest scientific genius in the universe." Washu replied proudly.  
"What can we do then?" Tenchi asked her.  
"The subspace living area I created for us will be protected from the   
radiation, but the rest of the ship won't be." she told him.  
"You mean abandon the ship for the living area. Who will pilot the ship?"  
Ryoko asked.  
"We can via my computer. Its either that or learn to glow in the dark for the  
rest of your life." Washu said with a smirk on her face.  
"We get the point." Tenchi said scratching the back of his head.  
"Hey, radiation can't hurt me." Ryoko said looking at Washu.  
"Your right, it can't hurt you, but the same can't be said for the baby."  
Washu replied.  
"I did think about that." Ryoko said as she rubbed her still flat stomach which  
would one day start to show her pregnancy.  
  
Preparations were made quickly to evacuation the exposed areas of the ship.  
Washu setup a link to the main computer on the Yagami and the others collected all  
the supplies they would need for a few days. Soome they gathered in the living   
quarters which sat in the pocket of subspace that Washu created. She put extra  
shielding around the entrance just in case and then they all relaxed. The buffeting  
and lurching of the ship told them they had entered the storm. Kiyone's hands flew  
over the keys on Washu's console as she tried to keep the ship steady.  
"Can't we do anything about the movement in here?" Kiyone asked Washu.  
"Sorry, we need to stay linked to real space inside the ship or we will  
drift away from it, and with the link we are effected by whatever effects what  
the subspace pocket is linked with. Thus, we are getting this wonderful ride."  
Washu said.  
"Wonderfrul." Kiyone said.  
"That and I can collect all sorts of interesting data on this storm. They  
are very rare you know." Washu said very excitedly as she summoned up a second  
holocomputer.  
"Figures." Ryoko muttered.  
Several hours passed by and everyone was trying to relax. Kiyone discovered  
that the autopilot in the main comptuer would do a better job of stablizing the  
ship than she could, so she just monitored it from the first holocomputer. Mihoshi  
was fast asleep on the couch next to Yosho who was drinking tea out of a spill  
proof plastic cup. Noboyuki sat next to Kiyone on the couch and watched the sights  
of the storm on the holocomputer screen. A large gravity wave hit the ship and it  
lurched to one side. Kiyone lost her grip and was launched into the air. Noboyuki  
reached out and caught her. When she opened her eyes she found herself in his arms.  
Kiyone and Noboyuki both blushed furiously. "Thank you, Mr. Masaki." she  
said.  
"No problem." he replied scratching the back of his head in a very Tenchi-like  
manner.  
Sasami emerged from the kitchen area wearing her caroot apron, she almost fell  
down as another lurch struck the ship but Ryoko teleported over to her and caught  
her.  
"I can't cook with the ship weaving around like this, so I made coldcut  
sandwiches instead. Is that ok?" Sasami asked looking at Tenchi.  
"That sounds just fine, thanks Sasami." he replied.  
Sasami smiled and blushed a little.  
  
Hours passed and the ship continued to roll as if it were on a great ocean  
that was ravaged by a great hurricane. Kiyone fell asleep at her post at Washu's  
console and was leaning on Noboyuki's shoulder. Suddenly, the screen went blank and  
and alarm sounded. Kiyone shot up and start typing at the console.  
"Oh shit! Oh Shit!" she kept saying as she tapped.  
Washu called up her second holocomputer and mutter a few curses that make  
Sasami's face blush furiously.  
"Yagami's main computer is off-line." Washu said.  
"I'm getting nothing here, no helm control, no sensor readings, what is going  
on out there?" she asked.  
"The storm has increased in intensity, and we are in the middle of it." Washu  
said just as the ship started to lurch violently.  
Days passed and the Masaki family gathered together everyday and kept each  
other calm and tried to keep their minds off of their problems. The end of the third  
day was the worse as the ship was tumbled around and around for several minutes until   
all of the inertial effects of the storm finally ceased. Washu checked her holo-  
computer and sighed a little with relief.  
"We made it." she said.  
"Alright!" Ryoko shouted as she jumped up.  
"Yay!!!!" Sasami cheered as Ryu-Ohki jumped up and down in her cabbit-girl form  
shouting, "Miya, miya, miya!!!".  
"Lets go see what damage there is." Mihoshi said as she headed for the dorr.  
Washu was typing at her console and suddenly she gasped. "Mihoshi don't open  
that door!" she shouted.  
"What's wrong?" Aeka asked as she walked up to Mihoshi intending to help her  
open the door.  
"I'm detecting a vacumn outside the door, hold up." Washu replied.  
"There's a hull breach!" Kiyone cried.  
Washu typed onto her console furiously. Aeka looked at the door and noticed  
that the rubberized air seals of the door had indeed inflated at one point. The  
seals suddenly disengaged and a sound like a whoosh could be heard on the other  
side of the door.  
"Now you can open it. I had to put up an enivornmental shield around the ship  
and fill it with atmosphere." Washu said.  
Kiyone stuggled with the door for several minutes until Mihoshi joined in. She  
tugged on it so hard that when it finally opened Kiyone was thrown across the room.  
She landed in a heap ontop of Washu. Both women looked at Mihoshi with venom in   
their eyes.  
"Sorry." the blonde policewoman said quietly.  
  
Everyone emerged from the living area and wandered through the ship. It did  
not appear that it really had been damaged. The bridge, to Kiyone's relief, was  
intact and the consoles were still semi-operational. Sasami and Ryu-Ohki in cabbit-  
girl form wandered about near the engineering section. They reached a door marked  
Engine Room and they both struggled to open the huge door that wasn't getting any  
power to open. As they entered the large engineering section Sasami gasped and  
Ryu-Ohki cried out. One whole section of the hull was missing and they were   
looking out into space. The sound of sparks, sizzling electronics, and the smell  
of burning insulation assaulted their senses.  
"Ryu-Ohki, tell Ryoko what we saw here." Sasami said to the cabbit-girl.  
"Miya." Ryu-Ohki replied.  
  
Elsewhere on the ship Tenchi and his wives where picking up several pieces of  
equipment that been thrown out of their storage bins. Aeka carefully picked up  
a stack of blaster rifles and started to place them back into their rack. Tenchi  
was putting small parts back into their containers, and Ryoko was sorting a pile of  
tools. She stopped what she was doing and Tenchi and Aeka felt it through their  
link with her. She spat a curse and stood up from her work.  
"Shit! Ryu-Ohki and Sasami found the hull breach. Its in engineering."  
Ryoko said just as she received the mental image from her cabbit.  
They left their work and made there way to engineering where they found Sasami  
and Ryu-Ohki looking through the engineering door in awe. Tenchi whistleed when he  
was the damage. Kiyone, Mihoshi and Washu showed up now long after.  
"It looks like the primary engines are intact, but the hyperdrive is shot to  
hell." Washu said as she scanned the engines.  
"How are we going to repair this?" Kiyone asked, exasperated.  
"We'll need a replacement hyperdrive motivator, and I'm afraid I don't have one  
on hand in my lab, and it would take weeks to fashion one from scratch." Washu  
told them.  
"Can we at least repair the hull?" Tenchi asked.  
"That one is easy." Washu said as she typed at her holocomputer. An army of  
small robots quicly filed into the engineering section and started working on the  
damaged sections of the hull. The robots generated small masses of energy between  
two eletrodes on their arms, that energy was transformed into solid matter which  
took the form of new hull pieces that were molecularly bonded together. Within  
several minutes a large section of the hull was back in place, and the rest of it  
would be done in an hour.  
"That's amazing." Mihoshi said.  
"What else is damaged?" Kiyone asked Washu.  
Washu scanned further with her holocomputer for several minutes and then she  
grimaced. "This is not good at all." she said.  
"What is it, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.  
"The primary biogell pack and trilinear-parallel processing unit in the main  
computer are ionized. In other works, the computer is fried." Washu said. Her holo-  
computer played a few short notes of the funeral durge.  
"We can't navigate without the main computer." Kiyone said.  
"The secondary computer is intact, I could rig it up to take up the job of  
the primary, but its not as powerful." Washu said.  
"Mom, how far away are we from Pharsis?" Ryoko asked.  
"Pharsis?" the others asked, except for Washu.  
"The legendary pirate city. We are about ten days away if we travel at flank  
speed." Washu said as she called up her charts of the Dead Zone.  
"If I recall we have to travel through the Devil's Heart to get there from here,  
and that could be tricky." Ryoko said.  
"Without a good navigational computer that could be very dangerous." Washu  
told her.  
"What is the Devil's Eye?" Sasami asked.  
"A region between four supermassive blackholes that is prone ot severe quantum  
disturbances. There is a safe way through, but it changes all the time. If we try  
to go around it will take us months in our current condition." Washu said.  
"Not more turbulance." Noboyuki said grabbing his head.  
"I though somebody said this trip through here would be safe." Kiyone said  
looking at Ryoko.  
"I didn't expect the Cosmic Storm." Ryoko replied.  
"How are we going to get to Jurai in this condition!" Kiyone yelled at her.  
"This isn't my fault, if we didn't come here we'd probably be Darkling bait  
by now!" Ryoko yelled back.  
Tenchi could feel Ryoko anger getting the better of her through his link and  
he put a calming hand on her shoulder.  
"Girls, this is neither the time or the place. Ryoko, can we get what we need  
to repair the Yagami at this Pharsis?" he asked.  
"You can get anything at Pharsis, for the right price." she replied, a bit  
calmer now.  
"That's settled then, we goto Pharsis, get the Yagami repaired, and then go  
about our merry way." Tenchi said.  
"It might not be as simple as that. This is a GP ship and the Pirates will  
recognize it as one." Ryoko said.  
"So we can't take Yagami into port there?" Tenchi asked.  
"Not if you don't want to be blown out of the sky." Ryoko told him.  
"Why not use Ryu-Ohki." Sasami said.  
"That is what I had in mind. We'll have to leave the Yagami someplace safe  
and goto Pharsis in Ryu-Ohki." Ryoko said.  
"Sounds like a plan to me." Noboyuki said.  
"We must be very careful, somebody might recognize Aeka and Sasami for who they  
are. I suggest they wear disquises." Yosho added.  
"That might be a good idea, or they could just stay here." Tenchi said.  
"Where you go, I go, Lord Tenchi." Aeka said as she wrapped her arms around his  
left arm.  
"Ok. Then since this might be dangerous, Sasami should stay here with Dad and  
Grandpa." Tenchi said.  
"Oh, ok." Sasami said in a disappointed tone.  
"Hey, I promise on our next away mission you can go." Tenshi said.  
"OK." she replied a little more happily.  
"Pharsis can be pretty rough. There is law and order on Pharsis, its imposed  
by the pirate king Mosnor Gandort, but its a twisted sort of system." Ryoko said.  
"Do you know this guy?" Kiyone asked.  
"Ya, he's actually a frienf of mine. He's a Flogarian." Ryoko said.  
"A Floarian, ewwwww!" Mihoshi gaged.  
"What are they?" Tenchi asked.  
"A lathsome race of creatures, covered in slime and very smelly." Aeka said.  
"The last time I was on Pharsis his smell could knock you flat." Ryoko said.  
"Let try to avoiding meeting him." Kiyone said.  
Tenchi could sense something nagging at the back of Ryoko's mind. "Anyone  
else we might want to avoid?" he asked her.  
"Yes, a real prick by the name of Feldrick." she told him.  
"What did he do?" Aeka asked, sensing Ryoko's apprehension.  
"He made a pass at me." Ryoko said.  
"He's that kind, huh?" Tenchi said.  
"He's worse....he's a male version of how I was with you before we got bonded."  
Ryoko said.  
"This should prove an interesting trip." Aeka said with a smirk.  
[Don't go there, girl.] Ryoko said to her via their mental bond.  
[Whatever do you mean?] Aeka asked.  
Ryoko looked at her with a withering glance. [I thought we had a truce after  
we married Tenchi.] Ryoko said.  
[Yes we do, but does that mean I can't have a little fun once in a while.]  
Aeka told her.  
[Two can play that game, Princess. Wait til we get to Jurai. Hehe.] Ryoko  
said.  
[Behave you two.] Tenchi said joining their mental conversation.  
[This is just a little friendly spat, Lord Tenchi. We are going to get to see  
a side of Ryoko's old life.] Aeka said.  
[I left that life behind when Tenchi kill Kagato years ago.] Ryoko said.  
[Lets focus on the job at hand here, ok?] Tenchi asked them.  
[Yes dear.] said both woman at once and a wave of affection trail along after  
their words. The motions washed over his mind like the a cool soothing wave on a  
hot beach.  
[That was nice.] he said lovingly caressing their minds with his own feeling  
of love.  
[Tonight it could be nicer.] Aeka said in a sweet tone.  
[Much nicer.] Ryoko joined in with a seductive tone.  
[Honestly, you three make love more often than Earth rabbits.] Washu's voice  
came over the link from Ryoko's mind.  
[You can talk to us, too.] Tenchi said looking at the diminutive genius.  
[Of course, I have a mental link with Ryoko's mind, and if she is using her  
link with you I can talk to youl, but I can't probe your minds like she can.] Washu  
said.  
[Thank goodness.] Aeka said rolling her eyes.  
"Watch it, princess." Washu said.  
Ryoko chuckled a little.  
"Did we just missing something here?" Noboyuki asked scratching the back of  
his head.  
"Its nothing Dad, we were sharing a little joke." Tenchi said as he tapped  
a finger to his head.  
"Oh, that telephathy stuff you can do with the girls. Well, I'm headed back  
to my room to clean up, I can just imagine its a mess after that last roll we did."  
Noboyuki said.  
"I'll join you, my room is probably a mess also." said Yosho.  
"What about us?" Kiyone asked Tenchi.  
"Mihoshi should stay here and help out with cleaning the place up, and you can  
should also stay because they might recognize your blaster as a GP weapon." Tenchi  
said.  
"He's right. GP officers are not very welcome on Pharsis. They ususall kill  
them on site." Ryoko said. "But in your case, they'll probably gang rape you and  
then kill you."  
Kiyone jump at that last comment. "I get the picture." she said.  
Tenchi put his hands on Kiyone's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. She  
froze, but not from fear but from the fact that she was suddenly lost in his gaze.  
"I feel better that your here to look after Mihoshi, Sasamai, and Dad. Grandpa  
can help you if you need anything." he said.  
"Thank you." she said almost in a trance.  
[Thats our Tenchi, he aways has a way with us ladies.] Ryoko said.  
Aeka giggled as Kiyone walked away with a smile on her face.  
"What? All I did was talk to her." Tenchi said.  
Ryoko put her hand on his chin and turned his face around to hers. "You have  
that effect on us, Aeka and I may be married to you, but we all love you." she said.  
Tenchi suddenly realized exactly what she meant by that and blushed furiously.  
The girls just giggled. "I love it when he squirms." Ryoko said as she rubbed  
her cheek against his.  
  
Washu modified the secondary computer to handle the work of the main system  
that was down, and the Yagami was underway again. The cripped ship was only able  
to travel at its fastest conventional speed propelled by the plasma thrust engines.  
Several days passed and the Yagami started the danger trek into the heart of the  
Devil's Eye. Washu monitored for time distortions or spacial enomilies as they  
travelled between the blackholes.  
Sasami look up through the observation windows at the glowing ecresion disks  
that spin around the black event horizons of the massive bodies. The sight was  
fear and awe inspiring. Not even Washu with all of her technological wizardry and  
knowledge had a desire to tangle with the most powerful force of nature in the   
universe. Slowly the GP cruiser escaped from the Devil's Eye and a course was set  
for Pharsis.  
"That was actually very smooth sailing." Sasami said as she looked up at one  
of the giant blackholes.  
"It usually is, but you never can tell." Ryoko said. She stood behind the  
young princess with her hands on her shoulders.  
"Five more days to Pharsis, then its onward to Jurai." Aeka said from where she  
stood   
__________  
__________  
Chapter Three: The Pirate City...  
  
The region of space around Pharsis is a dangerous place of unstable pockets of  
vetron gas clouds, randomly placed pulsars, and a smattering of blackholes. It was  
also dangerous due to the presence of over 10,000 pirate vessels of all shapes and  
sizes. The Yagami would not have fit into this motly crew of ships, but Ryu-Ohki  
certainly did. Kiyone had hidden the Yagami inside the a cave on a large lifeless  
planetoid orbited one of the smaller blackholes that sat near Pharsis. Aeka, Tenchi,  
and Ryoko left in Ryu-Ohki to compete the three lightyear journey to the pirate city  
that hung in space. The pirate city did not reside on the planet but was actually  
a large space station. The massive construct was the largest piece of engineering  
that Aeka and Tenchi had set their eyes upon. Pharsis was a series of large  
asteroids strung together by massive cables and transparent tubing. Large metal  
structures of habitate buildings on the surface of the giant asteroids could be  
seen, and the large rock had a huge maw of a docking bay entrance portal. The entire  
structure was several times larger than any ship of Jurai or any of the space  
stations that orbited the planet.  
"By Tsunami, that place is huge." Aeka breathed as she looked at one of the  
large holoscreens Ryu-Ohki's bridge.  
"Its been growing. I remember 700 years ago it was alot smaller than this.  
Looks like Mosnor has been busy." Ryoko said.  
"The best kept secret in the galaxy." Tenchi said.  
"Mosnor is a real businessman. He used to be in a mining company before he  
turned gangster." Ryoko said.  
"He must be doing very well then." Aeka commented.  
"He is stinking rich, and I'm not talking about the smell." Ryoko joked.  
  
Ryoko guided Ryu-Ohki into a slow arch that took her towards the giant docking  
bay. As they approached a gruff voice came over the comm. "Approaching vessel,   
what is your designation and purpose?"  
"Better let me handle this." Ryoko said.  
She cleared her throught, open the channel and said in a very roquish manner  
that sounded alot like the old Ryoko, "This is the Ryu-Ohki and I'm here for some  
supplies."  
"The Ryu-Ohki, that is the name of ship belonging to Ryoko, and its said  
that she is dead." the voice replied.  
"I'm not dead, but you will be if I don't get some docking instructions!" she  
shouted.  
"Yes, yes ma'am!" the voice replied dripping with fear.  
Ryoko muted the channel for a minute and stifled a laugh.  
"Your enjoying yourself aren't you." Tenchi smiled at her.  
"You got to know how to deal with these types. The guys who run the ports  
think they are bigger than they actually are." She said.  
"Ryu-Ohki, you can proceed to dock 102456A." the voice came back, a little  
shaken.  
  
Soon after docking Tenchi, his two wives, and Ryu-Ohki in cabbit form stood in  
the main concorse of Pharsis spaceport. They quickly made it passed what was supposed  
to be a customs station run by a very greasy looking character, and soon they were  
on their way. They found the interior of the station was very lwrge, a massive cavern  
was hollowed out inside the asteroid that served as the main habitate area. Several  
tiers of large platforms held the buildings that made up the pirate city, all twelve  
levels in all rose several hundred miles high. Massive cables ran along the sides of  
the cavern walls to power the interior lighting and to run the enivronment recylcers  
mounted on the roof of the cavern. Beneith their feet they could feel the familar  
tingling vibration caused by an artificial gravity matrix. Aeka wore a hood to hide  
her face to keep from being recognized.  
"Wow." was all Tenchi could say.  
"That was my first impression when I arrive her a long time ago." Ryoko said.  
"Its amazing they kept a place like this a secret for so long." Aeka commented.  
"Thate is alot people don't realize about the space pirates, Pharsis is just  
the tip of the iceburg." Ryoko told her.  
"Where should we go first?" Tenchi asked as he looked around trying to determine  
what direction they should go in the massive city.  
"We should try to avoid the higher tiers, they are the oldest parts of the city  
and contain the worse elements." Ryoko said.  
Aeka looked up towards the higher tiers and tried to make out the buildings  
through the atmospheric haze.  
"Is this all there is of the city?" Aeka asked.  
"No, this is one module, the city spans several others but this one is the  
largest." Ryoko told her.  
"Where do we find a hyperdrive motivator here?" Tenchi asked.  
Ryoko point towards the third tier. "The third level is the market district.  
You can find anything there." she said.  
Aeka felt for the small satchel she carried under her kimono and felt its  
weight. "I hope they accept Jurai currency here." she said.  
"They take anything, money, merchandise, favors, anything that can be traded  
or offered is accepted." Ryoko told her.  
  
Ryoko lead the way through the busstle of the vast tiered city. She mentally  
warned Aeka to keep a firm grip on her purse due the outrageous number of pick pockets  
that lived in the city. After walked for nearly and hour they reached one of the  
five public lifts that carried pedestrians traffic to the next tier. The ground  
level part of the city was dedicated to a large arena and several other places of  
entertainment. Aeka blushed when Ryoko mentally told her the places they were  
walking past were brothels or bathhouses that give special treatment. The arena was  
for blood sports and public executions. The second tier was a market place for all  
sorts of exotic goods from alien fruits and vegetables to live stock, and even  
illegal drugs. Ryoko pointed all of this out to Aeka and Tenchi as they made their  
way to the next lift. Whenever they spoke they did it through their link so as not  
to attract undue attention to themselves.  
[No wonder Kagato came to this place.] Aeka said in discust.  
[The Zanadu of the Galaxy.] Tenchi said.  
[What is Zanadu?] Aeka asked.  
[Zanadu, the pleasure dome, it was in ancient Babylon outside of Bagdad in  
what is called Iraq today. It was said to be a place of exotic perversions.] Tenchi  
explained.  
[That describes Pharsis alright.] Ryoko laughed.  
[It was a good thing we asked Mihoshi and Kiyone to stay behind, they'd go  
crazy in this place.] Tenchi said.  
[I saw a number of items in a shop behind us that were banned on Jurai for  
hundreds of year.] Aeka commented.  
[Wait til we get to the third tier where they sell the larger items, this  
tier is for ordinary goods and food stuffs.] Ryoko said.  
It took another hour to make it to the other side of the tier where the lift  
to level three was located. As they reached the third tier Aeka gasped with shock  
as she was a Jurai tree ship sitting with several other large spacecraft surrounded  
by a force field. A small domed strucure was the only entrance to were the ships  
were held. Above the door was a hand painted sign that read "Zark's Used Shipyards,  
We Buy, Sell, Trade Any Kind".  
[How did they get a Jurai ship?] Aeka wondered.  
[It looks like a courier ship, so its not a miltary vessel.] Ryoko said.  
A short man with a large bottle in his hands came shambling up to them. He  
grabbed onto Aeka's arm and started to tug her away from the group.  
"Well, hell-o speetheart, ya luk fin, wanna haf fun wit me?" he said in a  
gravily voice reeked from the smell of liqour.  
"Let go of me you, ruffian!" Aeka shouted.  
"Come on, babi, gib us a kiz." the drunk said.  
[Don't use your powers, they'll know who you are." Tenchi warned.  
[Please, he's is so inebriated that your father could beat him up.] Aeka  
replied.  
The princess turned sharply in the drunk's grasp and planted a knee dead  
center between his legs. The man crumpled over without a single shout like a sack  
of potatoes. Aeka dusted off her hands and turned back to Tenchi and Ryoko with a  
broad smile on her face.  
[Not bad, princess." Ryoko said.  
[What do we do with him?] Tenchi asked.  
[He'll wake up a few hours from now and not even remember what happened  
probably.] Ryoko laughed.  
The rest of tier proved to be as amazing as the first sight they had of it  
with the stolen Jurai ship. One dealer was selling vintage World War II aircraft  
from the planet Earth as collector's items. Tenchi read the English letter on   
the side of some of the craft. They had the names of American airman underneath  
the cockpit canopies. In another section were large Earth sea going ships, some  
were modern ocean going ships and a few were ancient sailing ships in perfect  
condition.  
[You didn't actually think that Yosho was the first alien to visit Earth before  
did you?] Ryoko asked him when she noticed the strange emotions coming from him.  
[Ever since I met all of you I often wondered if those stories of alien were  
actually real after all.] he said.  
[Alien abductions, what do you mean, Lord Tenchi?] Aeka asked.  
[There are stories by millions of people around the world of aliens abducting  
them and doing experiments on them. Its been going on for years, and only recently  
has it started to really become well known.] Tenchi explained.  
[When we get back to the Yagami we could talk to Kiyone and Mihoshi about  
looking into it when were get back to Earth.] Aeka said.  
[Sounds like a plan.] Ryoko said.  
Venturing further into the city they began to come across the part dealers and  
junk dealers. dozens of large buildings surrounded by high walls marked where they  
stood. High mountains of technological junk could be seen rising high in the   
distance. One of the mountains of junk had the entire rear section of a ship  
just like the Yagami but it was yellow.  
"We can try this one." Ryoko said. "Let me do the talking." She pointed  
towards the junk dealer that had the yellow spaceship section.  
The three filed through the crowd of ragged pedestrians and walked into the  
main office of the junk shop. The main office was dimly lite and smelled of oil  
and ozone. Aeka pulled her hood over her head just incase somebody got close enough  
to recognize who she was. A short stocky looking Galdorian came waddling into the  
room. He climbed up a short set up steps that lead to the top of his counter and he  
yell out something in Gladorese. You young boy no taller than Sasami rushed out  
and said something in slightly broken Gladorese to him.  
"Excuse me, do you speak Juraian?" Ryoko asked.  
"I am Hakkou, how can I help you?" the Gladorian asked in  
Juraian.  
"We're looking for parts for our ship. Its a Callorian Sultran cruiser-class  
with Golcom Delta 985 Hyperdrive." Ryoko said.  
"We got parts for those, what you looking for?" Hakkou asked.  
"A hyperdrive motivator and three power couplings for a Kitsu-Lomara model 87  
anti-mater reactor." Ryoko said. "We also need a type 23 biogel memory module and  
Inatron CCC-1024 processor core."  
For the first time in a long time she thank her mother for making that link   
between them. Washu was on the other end of the mental link feeding the specs to   
her mind that she needed to relay. As before, Washu could not look into the minds   
of Tenchi and Aeka since they shared a different level of mental link with her   
daughter.  
The Gladorian barked a few orders to the young boy and he walked over to a  
small data terminal.  
"We have those in stock." the boy said in Juraian.  
"We go out and look, ok." Hakkou said as he motioned Ryoko to follow him.  
[I'll go, you two stay here.] Ryoko said mentally to Tenchi and Aeka.  
[Ok.] they both replied.  
  
As they waited for Ryoko and Hakkou to come back Aeka and Tenchi strolled  
around the interior of the shop looking at all of the exotic pieces of alien   
technology that was laying about on the shelves. Tenchi had no clue as to what   
many of the exotic devices did, some he guessed were all ship parts from engines  
and other systems. He recognized a few of the parts used in the life support system  
on the Yagami, but everything else was so alien to him. Tenchi felt like kicking  
himself for not being more familar with these things, he denied his heritage and  
feelings for so long that now that he was among the stars he knew nothing about what  
was out there.  
Aeka kept her mind open to Tenchi's thoughts and she could feel what he was  
feeling. She was about to reach out to him and tell him it alright when they  
heard the door to the shop open. A tall figure walked into the room and walked up  
to the counter.  
"Hakkou! Hakkou you slime bucket where are you?" the figure yelled. From  
the voice Tenchi identified the figure as a woman.  
The Gladorian and Ryoko returned from the junk yard soon after. The short,  
waddling merchant held a large PDA tablet in his hands.  
[We got the parts, but they're going to cost.] Ryoko said mentally.  
"You worm, are those power converters in yet?" the figured asked as Hakkou  
walked up onto his counter.  
"Sorry, Sakura, but parts for a TG-16 are hard to come by these days." the  
Gladorian told her.  
"Damn." Sakura said as she stamped a booted foot. "Well if you want your  
four thousand Jurai you better make sure you get them in, soon."  
Ryoko turned around when she heard the woman's name and she took a defensive  
posture putting herself between Sakura and the others. Tenchi and Aeka felt a   
rising sence of danger from Ryoko and they looked at the woman witn greater  
interest.  
[Sakura, it can't be, oh shit.] Ryoko said mentally.  
"Miya? Miya, miya!" Ryu-Ohki meowed as she recognized the name.  
"Hello Sakura." Ryoko said in a low voice.  
The woman turned around and they all got a look at her. The woman was wearing  
an outfit that showed off her features in great detail. Her womanhood was barely  
covered by a leather armor halter top and the rest of the outfit was almost like that  
of a leather and black lace teddy. Her long legs where clad in thigh length black  
boots, and on one thigh was scrapped a wicked looking dagger. Sakura carried a   
sword strapped to her back and two large blasters at her sides, and a red cape  
draped down her back. Her hair was dark teal like Kiyone's but it was in a style  
that was more a mix betwwen Ryoko and Nagi. Her face was strikingly beautiful, with  
thin red lips, deep blue eyes, and soft features. Aeka had to slap Tenchi out of  
a stupper as he looked at her.  
"Ryoko?" Sakura said.  
"Ya its me." the former space pirate said.  
The woman look as if she was about to run to Ryoko and clamp her in a hug,  
but then she changed from a look of glee to one of indifference.  
"So, what are YOU doing back here?" she asked.  
"I could ask the same question." Ryoko said.  
Sakura look beyond Ryoko and noticed the two figures standing behind her. She  
guess the hood one was a woman because of her stature and way she walked was very  
woman like, but the young man was interesting.  
"Who's the cutie?" she asked in a voice that was suddenly very sweet.  
Ryoko moved a little closer to Tenchi. "Don't even think about it, he's  
mine." she said.  
"You actually have a man, not that's a surprise. You usually either ignore or  
clobber men who make advances on you." Sakura laughed.  
"We're married." Ryoko said.  
"Married, you've certainly changed." Sakura laughed.  
Aeka and Ryoko suddenly began to sense a growing feeling of awe and desire  
rising in Tenchi's mind.  
[Tenchi!] Aeka scolded him.  
[Aeka, he can't help it, its her. She belongs to race that gives off powerful  
ferimones that only effect male humanoids.] Ryoko explained.  
"I know what your up to, Sakura, so turn off the tap." Ryoko growled.  
"Afraid you'll loose your man to the greatest seductress in the universe."  
Sakura said.  
"I'm warning you. Your not going to steal him from me." Ryoko said as  
she summoned her energy sword.  
"Oh, come now, I only plan to have some fun and then you can have him back."  
she replied.  
"Over our dead bodies." Aeka said as she removed her hood, unable to hold  
herself back any further.  
"She's so beautiful." Tenchi said as if in a trance.  
"Who is this little thing?" Sakura asked sheepishly.  
"I too am married to this man." Aeka said.  
Sakura started laughing histerically. Hakkou, sensing a fight was about to  
break loose waddled off his counter and grabbed the young boy who soon looking at  
Sakura with a dazed look on his face.  
"One man with two women, he must be one of those kinky types." Sakura said.  
"Don't you dare defile Lord Tenchi's character like that!" Aeka seethed.  
[Aeka, remember we're supposed to be keeping a low profile.] Ryoko warned.  
"Lord Tenchi? Say, I recall it was a guy name Tenchi who supposedly killed  
off old Kagato a few years ago." Sakura said. "Its also said that he is a member  
of the Jurai royalty also."  
"Back off Sakura!" Ryoko shouted.  
"Miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki.  
"Oh, alright, if you I wasn't in a mood for a fight right now anyway. Maybe  
another time." Sakura said as she turned around and walked out of the shop. Almost  
immediately Tenchi started to shake his head and rub his eyes.  
"W-w-what happened to me?" he asked.  
"Sakura gives off ferimones that effect men. Well, almost all men." Ryoko  
said as Hakkou came back into the shop.  
"That could get messy if you be messin with Sakura. So, you is the great  
Ryoko, eh?" the Gladorian shopkeeper asked.  
"Yes, I am Ryoko." Ryoko replied.  
"A legend right here in me shop, I tell you what I give you parts at half  
price, ok?" Hakkou said.  
"Thanks." Ryoko told him.  
"How much is it going to be?" Aeka asked.  
"Lemme see, hmmm, exactly five hundred thousand Jurai." Hakkou said after   
looking at his PDA.  
Aeka grimaced, but sighed as she pulled out her purse and fished out a handful  
of large one-hundred thousand Jurai coins. She counted five of the coins into the   
shopkeepers three-fingered hand.  
"Good, where you want parts to go?" he asked.  
"Have been stowed in a disposable cargo container at dock 102456A." Ryoko told  
him. Hakkou tapped it into his PDA.  
"It'll be about six hours, that hyperdrive motivator weights two-hundred fifty  
tons, you know." he said ax he waddled off.  
"What do we do for six hours?" Tenchi asked his wives.  
An image of a bed drifted into his mind from Ryoko. Aeka got the same image  
and she blushed slightly dispite the fact that she slept with Tenchi at least twice  
already.  
Tenchi smiled. "That would be fun, but I don't think we should let out guard  
down like that in this place." he said.  
"Your right, after we get back to Yagami." she replied after giving him a peck  
on the cheek.  
"I love being able to be so open with our feelings like this." Aeka said as she  
rested her head on Tenchi's back.  
"Lets get going before Sakura decides to come back." Ryoko said.  
"It probably wasn't a good idea saying your name like that. Please forgive  
me, Lord Tenchi." Aeka said.  
"Its ok, Aeka." he said as he put his arm around her.  
  
In a tall tower outside of the tier city the governor of Pharsis was getting a  
called from an old friend. The greasy looking Flagorian floated in a large vat of  
green slime and touched a button on a side console. A holographic screen appeared  
and the face of Hakkou appeared.  
"Hakkou, old friend what you be doin?" Masnor asked.  
"Mosnor, ya member that coot pirate Ryoko?" the shopkeeper asked.  
Mosnor moved closer to the holoscreen. "How can I not. She a real looker  
don't ya know." he said.  
"She be here in Pharsis. I tink she be in trouble. Sakura be seeing her and  
they almos git inta a fight over a man." Hakkou said.  
"Rumor say she shack up wit the guy who killt Kagato. You be seeing Makoro  
snoop around?" Mosnor asked.  
"Na, but you being sure she tell him she here. I tink this guy be that one,  
and she got a Princess from Jurai wit here too." Hakkou said.  
"I tink the lass be in danger. You try un help, and I see wha I kun do from  
here." Mosnor said.  
"Will do. I got ta go then, see you then." Hakkou said before signing off.  
Mosnor sat there for long while deep in thought and wondered what his old  
friend Ryoko was doing back in Pharsis. She'd been missing for so long and then  
suddenly he started to hear stories that she resurfaced and found love on some  
backwater world in another part of the galaxy. He hoped beyond hope that Makoro,  
Sakura's new employer, did not hear wind of her. He knew that would happen if  
he did. As he opened his eyes he worse fears were realized as he saw the very  
man he was afraid of standing in front of him.  
"How di you git up here, you slime?" Mosnor demanded.  
"I can go where I please, you toad. So, do I hear correctly, is our dearest  
Ryoko back in Pharsis?" Makoro asked with an icy look in his eyes.  
"Wha be it to you?" Mosnor asked defiantely.  
"Your trying to protect her, that would be a very bad thing to do." Makoro  
said in a dangerous tone.  
"You canna touch me, I be runnin this place." Mosnor told him.  
"Not anymore, you fat discusting waste of oxygen!" Makoro shouted as he ignited  
a sword that looked like the Master Key. Tye Flagorian's two large eyes, which were  
on long eye stalks on the top of his head went wide. Before he could cry out for  
his guards Makoro swung the sword in an arch and severed his head. Mosnor's head  
tumbled out of the vat and landed on the floor with a sickening thud.  
"Was that wise?" Sakura asked as she emerged from the shadows.  
"Nobody gets in the way of my revenge. I will avenge my brother's death no  
matter the cost." Makoro said through clenched teeth.  
The two turned and walked out of the room leaving Mosnor's headless body  
where it lay. A few minutes later a young Tomorian girl dress scantilly and  
carrying a platter with a bottle of Flagorian wine walked into the room. She screamed  
when she saw Mosnor's body and dropped the platter as she turned and ran.  
  
The trio made their way to the fourth tier and found a semi-clean resteraunt  
to eat at. Tenchi got brave and tried an alien recipe, but found himself wishing  
he was back on Yagami with Sasami's cooking. After that they wandered around the  
second tier shops to see if they couod pick up a few things to take back to the   
Yagami for the others. All the while they did not notice the figure that followed  
along after them darting between the shadows.  
Two hours later they stopped at the central square where a fountain was placed  
and the water spray helped to cool them off. Aeka sat on the edge to give her  
small feet a rest and Ryoko just floated in midair in a lotus position next to   
Tenchi who decided to just stand.  
"Its a nice place to visit, but sure wouldn't want to live here." he said.  
"I did once for two years. That was how I met Sakura." Ryoko said.  
"What is it between you two?" Aeka asked her.  
"She was a biggest rival in the pirate bizz. Not my arch rival like Nagi,  
but a real competitor for snagging ships." Ryoko explained. "We used to have  
really awesome dogfights in space. She has a Cabbit like Ryu-Ohki, a female one  
named Kim-Ohki."  
"I see, the lake back home has crystals in it that come out every once in a  
while. Looking for carrots most of the time." Aeka said.  
"Ya, mom made a few Cabbits like Ryu-Ohki, and one day before Kagato double-  
crossed us I remember that a few got away." Ryoko said.  
"And then they started breeding." Tenchi said.  
"Miya, miya, miya, miya." Ryu-Ohki said.  
"She said that there is a planet where a colony of Cabbits live, but its  
pretty well hidden." Ryoko translated.  
"Sasami would be in heaven on a planet like that." Tenchi said, scratching the  
Cabbit between the ears. Ryu-Ohki purred and licked his hand.  
It was at that moment that Ryoko noticed that the husstle and busstle of   
pedestrian traffic which was quite heavy was suddenly gone. They were now the only  
people standing out in the open, and it alarmed her. Tenchi and Aeka picked up on  
Ryoko sudden alarm too. Then it happened very quickly, the hairs on the back of  
Tenchi's neck started to rise up on end and he turned just in time. He raised his  
hands and errected a force field to deflect a series of energy blasts that were  
coming their way. In a fash Tenchi and Aeka put on their armor rings and changed to  
their Juraian battlesuits and Ryoko morphed into her battlesuit and has her energy  
sword in hand. Tenchi drew the Master Key and ignited its blue blade. They waited  
for several seconds before a second attack came, but the blasts just splashed off of  
Tenchi's protective shield.  
A high pitched laugh came down upon them as Sakura and another figure appeared  
on the street in front of them.  
"Sorry about this Ryoko, but this isn't personal...its business." Sakura said.  
"What do you think your doing, you bitch?" Ryoko asked her.  
"That's Princess Aeka of Jurai, her ransome will bring a nice price." the  
other person said. From the voice they could tell it was man.  
Aeka started powering up and she summoned her mini-guardians. "I will not be  
so easy to capture, whoever you are." she said with an icy tone.  
"And you'll have go get through me first." Tenchi said.  
The figure was dressed all in black and wore a hooded cowl, he pulled it back  
and Ryoko gasped in shock. "Makoro." she said in a voice that dripped with hatred.  
"I'm glad you remember me, dear Ryoko." the man said.  
[Who is he?] Tenchi asked mentally.  
[A total jerk slave trader, be careful because he's tricky] Ryoko warned.  
"Your working for this slime ball!" Ryoko shouted at Sakura.  
The seductress space pirate shrugged and said, "A girl has to make a living and  
he pays me well for my services."  
"Sakura, lets end these pleasentries and get onm with obtaining our prize."  
the man said in a relaxed voice.  
"Better surrender her or this could get really messy." Sakura said as she  
drew her sword. The weapon had a steel blade, the surface of it ignited with   
blue energy as she took a fighting stance.  
Ryoko looked over at Tenchi and smiled "Don't you know who this is?" she asked  
Makoro.  
Sakura looked at Tenchi and then back at Makoro. "You didn't tell your new  
boss who he going up against did you, Sakura?" Ryoko asked her.  
Tenchi stepped forward and took a battle stance with the Master Key in his  
grasp. "I am Tenchi Masaki, first Prince of Jurai, and the man who slayed Kagato."  
he said.  
Makoro reached into his black suit and producted a Juraian spaceship key  
and ignited its blade. Aeka gasped in shock at this.  
"I know who you are, Prince Tenchi, it means nothing to me." Makoro said.  
"It should." Tenchi said in an uncharacteristicly vicious tone.  
"Stay out of my way boy." Makoro said as he raised his hand and launched an  
energy blast at him.  
The blast hit Tenchi's shield and struck with such force that it sent him  
flying down the street.  
"Tenchiii!" Aeka and Ryoko both shouted.  
Makoro took the opportunity and flew at Aeka. The princess saw his move and  
she lashed out with her mini-guardians. Makoro struck her shield and landed on his  
feet after a sumersault move. Aeka flew at him this time with a powered punch and  
tried to blast him, but she was stopped in place by his own shield. Aeka got a   
suddenly bout of deja vu when Makoro waved his hands and a blast sent her flying  
into the fountain.  
Ryoko yelled out Aeka's name and teleported to Makoro's side and lashed out  
with her sword. It deflected off of the man's shield and he quickly blasted her  
away as well.  
"Pathetic. I thought you were better than this." he said.  
Suddenly, there was a flash of bright light down the street. Makoro looked  
up and his eyes opened wide with shock. He watched as six Light Hawk Wings emerged  
from Tenchi's chest, two of the wings seperated from him and merged with him to  
form the white Light Hawk Armor, and a third entered his hand and transformed into  
the Light Hawk Sword. Using his hidden power Tenchi rose into the air and flew  
at Makoro. The man rised his sword to perry and was surprise when the force of the  
impact send the weapon flying out of his hand.  
"This is how I killed that bastard Kagato, and how you will end also if you  
don't yield." Tenchi said through clenched teeth.  
"Light Hawk Wings, very impressive. No wonder you were able to defeat my  
brother." Makoro said.  
"Kagato was your brother!" Ryoko said with rage.  
"You didn't know he was part Juraian did you?" Makoro said.  
"That monster could not have been one of my people!" Aeka shouted as she  
climbed out of the fountain dripping with water.  
Ryoko concentrated for a few seconds and formed her own Light Hawk Wings. She  
took a positon next to Tenchi and assumed a battle stance.  
"Wha! Two beings with Light Hawk Wings!" Sakura shouted with shock.  
"It makes no difference, I will have the Princess!" Makoro shouted as he tapped  
something on his wrist.  
Instantly the air was filled with hundred of small drones. They darted about  
like angry hornets and they swarmed upon the trio. The drones started firing laser  
blasts that deflected off of Tenchi and Ryoko's light hawk wings and Aeka own Jurai  
power shield. The total number of hits was starting to effect Aeka, and she was  
quickly beginning to loose her hold over her shield. Tenchi and Ryoko both sense  
this through their link with her as they down several of the drones with energy  
blasts.  
"Aeka!" Tenchi shouts as the princess falls to her knees as she tries to keep  
her shield from failing.  
Tenchi runs to her and grabs her, he summons his flying power and soars into  
the air. A horde of drones follows him firing at him, but their beams deflect off  
of his light hawk wings. Ryoko leaps into the air and followes behind him taking  
out the drones from the rear with energy blasts and swipes of her sword.  
Eventually they manage to loose the annoying devices and land in a back  
alleyway. Tenchi and Ryoko release their powers and slump to the ground panting.  
"We are in trouble." Ryoko said.  
"I noticed that." Tenchi said.  
"I can't believe Kagato is part Juraian, what a disgrace." Aeka said a little  
mortified.  
"There is always one black sheep in the family." Tenchi told her.  
"I'd prefer it not to be that particular one thank you." Aeka said.  
"I noticed that Makoro is Juraian also, he as a spaceship key sword like  
the Master Key." Tenchi said.  
"Your sword is the Key to Tsunami, his is a key to some other tree ship,  
but I am not sure which." Aeka said.  
"We can ask Tsunami later when we get back to Yagami." Ryoko said.  
"Maaaoooowwwww!!!!!" came a loud cry from the sky.  
Ryoko stood up and looked up into the air. A large ship that looked alot  
like Ryu-Ohki but was a blueish color was rising into the air from the distance.  
"Shit, its Kim-Ohki!" she said.  
"Miya, miya miya miya miya miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki.  
"What did she say?" Tenchi asked.  
"She was saying some very unflattering things about Kin-Ohki's figure." Ryoko  
chuckled.  
"I'd love to stand around a meet more of your old enemies Ryoko, but could we  
get out of here." Aeka said.  
"I heard that." Ryoko replied.  
The trio ran down the alleyway and darted into a small building. It was just  
then that Kim-Ohki roared overhead. They looked into the air as the Cabbit flew  
by and then they emerged and rushed out into the street. They found an abandoned  
hovercar and piled into it. Ryoko took the controls and headed for the ramps that  
allowed ground vehicles access to the other tiers. The ramsp were winding tunnels  
bored out of the stone walls of the asteroid. They travelled down to the first  
level and headed towards a giant tower that rose up from the cavern floor some  
distance from the tiered city.  
"I don't really want to do this, but Mosnor can hide us for a while until our  
parts are ready to go." Ryoko said.  
They pulled up at the front entrance to the tower and the trio ran inside.  
They followed Ryoko as she ran into a lift and it carried them to the top of the  
tower. "I don't like it, where are the guards." Ryoko said. As they made it to  
Mosnor's chambers at the top of the tower they stopped. A large vat of green goop  
sat in the middle of the room where the administrator of Pharsis ran the place. The  
body of the Flagorian was slumped over the edge, flabby sacks of flexh hung down  
from the creatures body, and its severed head lay in a pool of blue blood in one  
corner.  
"Oh damn." Ryoko said.  
"This is not our day." Aeka said.  
"Now what?" Tenchi asked.  
"MAOW!" can a cry from outside jsut before the room was engulfed in white  
light and explosions.  
The three suddenly found themself on the smooth crystaline floor of Ryu-Ohki's  
bridge. In the instant the tower was hit by Kim-Ohki the Cabbit leaped off of  
Ryoko shoulder and morphed into ship form and teleported her friends onboard. Now  
she was darting away as the Mosnor's tower started to tumble over and Kim-Ohki  
gave chase.  
"Ryu-Ohki, I love you." Ryoko said as she stood up and took the controls.  
The Cabbits furry face appeared one of the floating crystals and blushed.  
The other Cabbit ship was firing at them as they speed away, but Ryoko quickly  
dodged the shops and dove Ryu-Ohki in between the tall towers of the sixth tier in  
the city structure. The Cabbit ships darted between the huge buildings exchanging  
cannon fire. Ryu-Ohki meowed in pain when ever she was hit, but Ryoko gave Kim-Ohki  
more direct hits. Ryoko dove the Cabbit ship into a n archway made by two large  
buildings and blasted it just as Kim-Ohki was about to follow. The Cabbit ship was  
caught by the falling structures and crashed to the ground with a great explosion.  
"Miya miya miay?" Ryu-Ohki meowed a question.  
"No, I sure she'll be ok." Ryoko said.  
Ryoko guided Ryu-Ohki towards the hanger bay and flew her through the main  
concourse of the space port. When they reached the docking port area they could  
see a large cargo carrier there. Ryu-Ohki focused a holographic vidscreen on two  
figures on the deck down below. It was Hakkou and the young boy who was his  
assistant.  
"That be you Ryoko?" came the voice of the Gladorian over the com system. "I  
hear about old fiend Mosnor, he ask me to help you be Makoro cut him up."  
"Thanks, you better get going too." Ryoko replied.  
"I be havin strong friends in the pirate guild. Makoro be hunted man if he  
touch me." the shopkeeper said.  
"Lets get out of this place." aeka said.  
"Ok Ryu-Ohki, lets pick up that cargo container and haul ass to the Yagami."  
Ryoko said.  
"Miya!" meowed the Cabbit in agreement.  
Ryu-Ohki locked a tractor beam onto the cargo container and then raced away  
into the cavernous reaches of the space port entrance. As they emerged from the  
asteroid blue beams of energy streaked past them. A holographics screen appeared  
showing a large black vessel that was long and sleek racing towards them. It was  
firing energy beams at Ryu-Ohki from twin cannons.  
"That must be Makoro, is he hits the cargo carrier this trip was all for  
nothing." Tenchi said.  
"Aeka, take the controls. Tenchi, is it OK if I squash this fly that is  
bugging us?" Ryoko asked as Aeka took over the controls of the Cabbit ship.  
Tenchi recalled he asked her to ask permission before doing anything drastic  
since she jumped out into space and taking on a Darkling ship by herself. He had  
been terrified for her and for the baby she was carrying inside her. He nodded and  
gave her a kiss before she teleported away.  
Ryoko rematerialized on the hull of Makoro's ship and summoned her six Light  
Hawk Wings and created a Light Hawk Sword from one of them. She quick set to work  
cutting the ship in half with the mightly weapon. Makoro, sitting on the bridge,  
did not know what was happening to his ship until it was too late. Just just before  
the primary reactor overloaded and blew he saw Ryoko flying away with her lighthwwk  
wings surrounding her. She materialized back onto the bridge of the Ryu-Ohki and  
into Tenchi's loving arms which held her close of Makoro's ship was engulfed in  
a massive explosion.  
"Lets get out of here, I don't want to see this city ever again." Ryoko said  
as she rest her head on Tenchi's shoulder.  
Aeka worked the controls and guided the Cabbit ship on a course back to where  
they hid the Yagami.  
  
Back on the GP ship Kiyone was chasing Mihoshi around the living area. She  
had a towel wrapped around her and was dripping wet. The blonde policewoman was  
frantically running to keep from being bashed over the head.  
"Get back here you! That was my last bottle of conditioner!" Kiyone welled.  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Kiyone, but I ran last week and I get all oily if I  
don't use conditioner on my hair!" Mihoshi said with tears in her eyes.  
"So you had to start using mine!" Kiyone yelled.  
"Stop it you two, your as bad as my sister and Ryoko used to be." Sasami  
scolded them.  
Noboyuki stepped into the room and dodge out of Mihoshi's way as she ran past  
him. He unfortunately did not see Kiyone following close behind and they colided.  
When Kiyone was able to see again she noticed two things, one Noboyuki was on the  
floor, and two she was straddling him. The third thing she realized was that she  
was still wearing her bath towel and wasn't wearing any panties. Her face turned a   
bright red, and when Noboyuki woke up to find a wet and half naked Kiyone sitting  
on him his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.  
"I-I-I'm so sorry Mr. Masaki, I didn't see you there." Kyone stammered as she  
leaped up off of him and helped him up. Strangely, he was not acting like the hentai  
he usually acted like. Kiyone noticed that he was actually blushing too. He was  
about to say something when Washu came running into the room.  
"They're back!" she shouted.  
Everyone gathered on the observation desk of the Yagami to watch as Ryu-Ohki  
flew in trailing a large cargo container. The Cabbit ship stowed the container into  
one of Yagami's open cargo hatches and then beamed her passengers into the ship. The  
little furry creature phased through the hull of the ship and leapped into the   
waiting arms of Sasami who held a large, plump carrot for her. Ryu-Ohki was very  
quickly munching away on top of Sasami's head.  
"She earned that carrot today. Ryu-Ohki saved our lives." Tenchi said.  
"Wow! Your such a good girl, Ryu-Ohki." Sasami said petting the little  
Cabbit.  
"Did you get the parts we need?" Kiyone asked, now fully dressed in her GP  
flight uniform.  
"We sure did." Tenchi said.  
"Ok, lets get to work so we be on our way." Washu said as she started rolling   
up her sleeves.  
  
Tenchi opened the cargo carrier and watched with amazement as Washu moved the  
massive hyperdrive motivator with a simple wand-shaped device. She called it a   
anti-gravitational manipulator. The rest of the things they ordered were in cases  
inside the cargo container also, but what surprised them the most was the extra items  
that were there. A large crate of bottles containing expensive alcholic beverages,  
several containers of food, and three crates of exotic looking weapons that Kiyone  
identified as being illegal in most starsystems due to their firepower. It was  
decided that they'd keep the weapons onboard considering the situation they were  
in, and Washu would make Etherealogical modifications to them so they would be  
effective against the Darkness.  
Twenty hours passed and the new hyperdirve was in place and ready for them  
to depart. Washu gave the all clear and the device powered up for the first time  
without a hitch. Kiyone and Yosho got the main computer back online and running, and  
Sasami used the food to cook a big dinner to celebrate this victory. They sat in  
the dinning room enjoyed each other's company. Kiyone and Noboyuki was lost in a   
conversation about how buildings were designed, Mihoshi was playig with her control  
cube again, Aeka and Ryoko were hugging Tenchi, and Sasami and Washu were watching  
Ryu-Ohki do little ballerina dances for them in her child form. It went on like  
this for several hours, but then the time came for them to move on.  
"We can get clear of this region if we take this route here." Ryoko said as  
she pointed to a small region of space positioned between two supermassive blackholes.  
"That'll be one tight fit through there." Kiyone said.  
"We have to chance it or we will have to fly through that cosmic storm again  
to get out of here." Washu explained.  
"Why not, we lived through worse. Sometimes I am amaze that we even lived  
this long." Aeka said.  
"We have to get to Jurai, can you do it Kiyone?" Tenchi asked.  
"I can try." she said.  
"You can do it, I have confidence in you." Noboyuki said with a smile. His words  
made Kiyone blush, and Washu raised an eyebrow at this. She has observed a strange  
event taking place since they left on this journey. It looked as if Kiyone and  
Noboyuki were getting closer. She decided to research into this further later.  
"I'm worried about mommy and daddy and mommy Fonaho." Sasami said.  
"So am I, dear sister." Aeka said as she hugged her little sister.  
"It will be like threading a needle." Yosho said clamly.  
"The longer we wait the more time the Darklings have to scheme against us."  
Tenchi said.  
"Lord Tenchi is right, we have to chance it now." Aeka said.  
"Ok, I'm going to need total concentration for this, so everyone please  
clear the bridge." Kiyone said.  
Everyone did as she asked, but she did notice that Noboyuki was still with her.  
She looked up at him and looked into his eyes. She could not read the look on his  
face for a few seconds but she swore she could see admiration and affection in his  
dark eyes. He was the last person who ever expected to suddenly find herself   
suddenly starting to really like. Most times Tenchi father was a real hentai trying  
to take pictures of them in the onsen, or sitting him his room watching porno movies  
all the time. She found that about the man discusting, but here lately she noticed a  
marked change in him. On two occations he had a change to get a good handful of her  
and on both occations he didn't do a thing inappropriate. In fact, he blushed  
furiously, which was very uncharacteristic of him.  
"What is it Mr. Masaki?" she asked.  
"Kiyone, I....wanted to wish you good luck." he said after a moments hesitation.  
"Thank you," she replied with a smile.  
Noboyuki walked out slowly and let the door to the bridge hiss closed behind  
him. He sighed and pulled a picture out of his front shirt pocket. It was a   
picture of Achika. A single tear formed in his eyes as he looked at her smiling  
face. It had been taken a year before she started getting sick. He could hear  
her last words to him in his mind when he looked at her picture.  
"Noboyuki, I want you to promise me that if I die you will find another." she  
said with a weak voice.  
"Achika, you are my only true love." he had said to her.  
"I know, but I don't want our little boy to grow up without a mother."  
she said to him.  
"I'll do anything you say, my sweet." he had told her. But as the years passed  
and Tenchi grew older he never met anyone who could measure up to her. Of all the  
women he had met since that terrible winter day no woman was good enogh, but then  
the girls from space came to him home. They were all nuts about his son, and he was  
envious of him at times, and flustered with him at times for not taking advantage  
of his good fortune. Later, Tenchi made him proud by marrying not one girl but two,  
and then the guilt hit him. He had not fulfilled his dear departed loves' last  
request. Tenchi grew up without a mother, and for this he would be eternally asking  
his late wife for forgiveness. Now that the chaos of the girls fights over Tenchi  
was over he was starting to feel lonely again, and it was then that he began to   
focus on a certain teal haired beauty who came to live with them not long ago.  
"Is it her, my dear. I hope you would approve, I know its a bit late, but  
I hope you'd approve of her." he said to the picture. There was no answer, and he  
placed the picture back into his shirt pocket and continued on his way to the crew  
quarters.  
__________  
End of Chapter Three...to be continued  
  
Next time...  
Chapter Four: Distorted Realities...  
Tenchi and the gang leave the pirate city to continue their journey to Jurai,  
but they run into a ripple in spacetime that alters their perspective of reality.  
Chapter Five: Planet Caldera...  
The gang finds a calm region of the Dead Zone and runs into a mysterious new  
planet that none of them knew was there. A terrible secret hidden beneath the surface  
could threaten their very existance.   
  
If you enjoyed this fan fic series let me know at zorch@the-zorch.com.  
Remember to check out GenSao's Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction Archives for this  
and more great fan fics at http://www.tmffa.com and remember to visit my  
fan site 


	3. The Dark Lord of Jurai - Episode 2: Chap...

DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and character names from Tenchi  
Muyo, TMil, and Shin Tenchi are property of Pioneer and AIC. This  
work of fiction is written for fan appreciation only. Please do  
not sue me.   
__________  
NOTES: This work of fan fiction is based in the OAV continuity of  
Tenchi Muyo and borrows some elements from Tenchi Universe such as Nagi,  
the Yugami, and also borrows from Shin Tenchi Muyo to introuducing Yugi,  
Sakuya, and Ryu-Ohki's mech form into the story. I have also introduced   
some new characters and creations into the mix. I hope you enjoy the   
series as much as I enjoyed working on it.  
__________  
THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA  
  
Episode Two: No Need for A Space Journey  
  
Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney  
__________  
Previously...  
  
Tenchi and the gang brave the dangers of a violent cosmic storm and come out  
of it in one piece, but the Yagami took a good hit. They are forced to goto the  
dangerous legendary city of Pharsis where Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko run into one of  
Ryoko's old rivals....a pirate seductress named Sakura. Narrowly escaping the  
wrath of Kagato's brother, the trio return to the Yagami with the parts needed to  
do the repairs. Now, the ship was ready to depart again on their journey through  
the Dead Zone. We last leave them as they are about to embark on a dangerous  
journey between to blackholes.  
__________  
Chapter Four: Distorted Realities  
  
Two supermassive blackholes filled the sky in the main viewscreen on the  
bridge of Yagami. Kiyone sat alone at her station as she keyed in the vital info  
she needed to make the journey between them. There was a narrow passage of space  
that they travel through to get past the blackholes without being cooked by blasts  
of radiation or being ripped to shreads by the immense gravitational forces. She  
did not like the idea of playing monkey in the middle with two blackholes, but  
they had no other choice. A careful course that routed them around the streams of  
accelerated particles that swirled around the two astrological bodies had to be  
careful mapped. The two blackholes were constantly exchanging material since  
they were so close, and it made the two looking almost like a giant Ying Yang  
symbol in space. Shooting out from the upper and lower surfaces of the ecretion  
disks that swirled around the two bodies flowed a blazing fountain of cosmic  
radiation that was visible to the naked eye and travelled for light years. The  
radiations were so intense that not even staying in the subspace crew quarters  
would be enough to protect them.  
Back in the crew section everyone was tense. Mihoshi, despirately wanting  
to be with Kiyone on the bridge was pacing back and forth. Washu was sitting on her  
floating seat typing on her holocomputer totally oblivious to everything going on  
around her. Noboyuki sat with Yosho focusing on a game of Chess to take their  
minds off the dangerous journey they were about to understake. Sasami and Ryu-Ohki  
were drawing pictures on a holographic tablet that Washu had made for them. Tenchi,  
Aeka, and Ryoko were not with the others. Inside their private quarters the three  
lay beneath their covers in their bed made for three and held onto each other. The  
girls lay on either side of Tenchi and held him close. He had his arms around  
them and just relished the feeling of them being close to him. They never had sex  
with Tenchi both at the same time since they felt it would be demeaning to their  
relationship. Occationally they shared a brief kiss and a tight squeeze, but it  
did not any further than that.  
The ship jostled for a brief moment as Kiyone adjusted course abruptly and  
turned full power on the engines.  
"If for some reason we don't make it though this, I want you both to know that  
I love you more than anything in the universe." he told them.  
Both women hugged him tight and layed their heads on either side of his chest.  
"We'll be ok." Ryoko said. "We love you too, Lord Tenchi." Aeka said.\  
"I guess I'm just all gloom and doom anymore aren't I." Tenchi replied.  
"We survived this long. Somehow I feel a higher power is helping us along  
on his journey." Aeka said.  
"We could really use some divine intervention right about now." Ryoko said.  
The feeling of being next to one another was so soothing and emotions of love  
that caressed their minds through their shared link lulled them to sleep. Back in  
the family room Washu was blind to the world around her as she gather invaluable  
research into blackholes. Her instruments told her that the Yagami had already   
started the first half of the journey between the two supermassive bodies.  
Hours passed and Washu continued to poor over the streaming data. She had seen  
alot of this before, but some surprises where there also. She was delving into a  
region of quantum physicis that few ever dared to tread. She looked up once just in  
time to see Yosho place his queen on the chess boards and say, "Checkmate."  
"That's the fifth time in a row, maybe you should take up Golf, Noboyuki."  
she said with a giggle.  
"His problem is a lack of concentration and spiritual focus." Yosho said  
calmly.  
"Maybe I should quite while I still have my dignity." Noboyuki said.  
"You need more practice and more patience." Yosho told him.  
Washu took a sip of green tea and looked back at her holocomputer just as  
it started beeping. Her eyes went wide and she dropped the teacup. "Oh my God!"  
she shouted as her hands started flying over the keys.  
"W-W-W-What is it Little Washu?" Mihoshi asked, afraid to know the answer.  
"We're headed straight into a quantum distortion wave! Don't interrupt me,  
have to act fast if we're gonna survive it!" she shouted.  
"Survive it!" Noboyuki croaked out with a look of terror on his face.  
Suddenly the entire shuddered from aft to starboard and everyone's eye view  
perceptiion of the interior of the ship was suddenly distorted as if they were looking  
at it through water. Noboyuki was nausiated by the experience and he bent over  
and reeched on the floor. Ryu-Ohki lost balace, fell over, and morphed back to her  
Cabbit form, and Sasami fell down and was so dizzy she could not stand. Washu  
focused as hard as she could on her holocomputer as she typed madly away at the  
keys. In their private room Tenchi woke up and the sight before him made his head  
ache tremendously. Aeka and Ryoko woke up and they both almost fell out of bed.  
"What's going on, oh, my head!" Aeka shouted.  
"I feel like I drank too much sake again." Ryoko said.  
"I gotta get to Washu, she might know what's going on." Tenchi said.  
He climbed out of bed and fell onto the floor. He clutched his head for a  
minute as a pain went through him.  
"Tenchi!" both women shouted since they could feel his distress.  
Washu at her holocomputer as typing franticly and sweating. She stopped and  
looked around the room. Everyone was in bad shape, She raised her hand and pressed  
a single button on her holocomputer.  
Tenchi got up and was about to head for the door when a piercing whine filled  
his every being, not only his ears, but in his mind as well. It effected Aeka, Ryoko,  
and everyone else on the ship. A few moments later they watched as the world around  
them was suddenly consumed by a bright white light.  
  
Tenchi woke up and tried to setup, but instantly regretted it when a wave of  
pain hit his head. He rolled over and climbed to his knees and slowly worked his  
way up to his feet. He looked about and he could only see white haze. He felt like  
he was run over by an eighteen-wheeler. As he stumbled his way through the white  
haze he began to see shapes form, a tree, a large rock, and a small hill. Behind\  
him he could hear the sound like the sizzling of electricity from power lines, and  
bright blue light.  
A figure appeared out of the mist and approached him. As it drew nearer and  
nearer he noticed that it was a woman. His vision was becoming fuzzy but he could  
tell that it was an older woman, perhaps in her early sizties. She topped in front  
of him and looked at him with concern in her eyes. Tenchi could not stay on his  
feet any longer and he collapsed. The woman rushed forward and caught him as he  
feel and slowly lowered him to the ground. Seconds later, several other figures  
appeared around him and he felt himself being lifted off the ground, soon all the   
world went black as he fell unconscious.  
  
A group of figures walked through the night carrying limp bodies over their  
shoulders. An elderly woman dressed in a light suit of kevlar armor walked beside  
them making sure their burdens were doing well. They reached a series of tents  
and approached one in particular with had been hastily assembed.  
"Ms. Tarn, I got the tent up like ya asked." said a woman wearing an outfit  
made from animal skins which concealed armor plating underneath.  
"Thank you. Now, lets get him inside and out of the chill. Be careful with  
the little one." the elderly woman said to the rest.  
One by one the group entered the tent and delicately laid down their burdons  
on the floor. The old woman went inside followed by a grey hair man in heavy armor  
and a younger man wearing a suit made of plates. On his body were wrist bands and  
ankle bands, and from these came metal sheathed tubes that ran to a device that was  
a fixed to his belt. He was huge, his body brissling with muscles, and his eyes  
burned with the fire of man who was always ready for a fight.  
He looked down at the newcomers they found at the mouth of the Rift that  
had just opened. It was always dangerous being around Rifts, because you never  
know what might be coming out of one. When a group of people emerged and collapsed  
to the ground, the older woman knew she had to do something for them. The huge  
warrior looked over two women in particular, one with white spiked hair, and the  
blonde with a dark tan. Just looking at them made a bulge in his pants suddenly  
materialize.  
The old woman noticed this and she fixed the warrior with a very stern  
look. "Don't even thing about it, Greuger."  
"Hey, I won't, I'll be good." the man said raising his hands.  
"Juicers." the greying warrior said under his breath.  
"They appear human, but appearances can be deceiving especially when your  
dealing with DeeBees." the old woman said.  
"There is great power here. A strong magic, stronger than anything I ever  
felt before." said the woman who errected the tent.  
"We'd better disarm them, just incase." the greying warrior said.  
"Alright, but I don't want them treated badly until we know more about them.  
Is that clear all of you?" the old woman asked.  
"We will treat them as our guests, Erin." the greying warrior said.  
"Sir Thorpe, thank you. As for the rest, lets get back to sleep. Jasper,  
could you stand guard tonight?" Erin, the older woman, asked. A half-dog half-man  
creature emerged from the shadows.  
"Sure. They look human but they don't all smell human." he said.  
"Let me know the minute any one of them starts to wake up." Erin said to Sir  
Thorpe. "And you, I don't want to hear that you layed a single hand on those  
girls." She waved her finger in the face of the Juicer. He hung his head and nodded.  
"Good boy." she said.  
  
Erin Tarn sat in her tent looking over a few maps of the area. She was  
reading my the light of a small lamp powered by a tiny methane fueled generator that  
one of her crew built for her. She looked up just as a Sir Thorpe ducked in through  
the slit door. She smiled warmly to her friend and guardian, and he met her with  
with his own on his weathered face. The Cyberknight walked up to her low table  
where she was looking over the maps, most of which she drew up, and a few which  
were made by a few brave souls who wandered the region.  
"How are our guests doing?" she asked him.  
"Fairly well. The young man is still unconscious but the little girl is  
awake. She is a bit frightened." he said in a distinctively British voice.  
"Maybe I should go and talk to her." she said as she put down her map. "Non of  
the others are awake yet?"  
"No, mi'lady, but the doctor says they could be awake by morning." Sir Thorpe  
said.  
"That's not surprising since they just dropped through a rift." Erin said.  
"They are a very strange looking lot." Sir Thorpe said.  
"No stranger than the company I keep, Sir Thorpe." Erin said with a smile at  
her protector who wore a heavy suit hightech armor, a large sword on his back, and  
an energy rifle over one shoulder.  
"Point taken, mi'lady." he said with a gracious bow and a smile.  
Erin put her maps back into their case. "Ms. Tarn, I feel it my duty to say  
that I think remaining here any longer is dangerous. We are only 100 miles from   
Chi-Town and you know how the Coalition feels about you." he said.  
"I am not afraid of that old Emperor Prosek windbag. Besides, he's too busy  
worrying about the latest manouverse by the Fedeeration of Magic to worry about lil'  
old me." she said.  
"That is beside the point. He still considers you public enemy number one,  
and his order to have you executed still stands." the cyberknight said.  
"The only enemy to the public is him and his dictatorship." Erin said. "I am  
not leading a resistance force, I am compiling research for an almanac of North  
America."  
"That is why he considers you a threat. Your books are banned in the  
Coalition." Sir Thorpe said.  
"Only because he thinks that controlling knowledge and who gets it will help  
him maintain a strangle hold on those under him." she spat.  
"I'm only thinking of your well being, mi'lady." the cyberknight said softly.  
Erin looked up into the old knight's face and saw the look in his eyes. She  
smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder.  
"I promised the counsil at New Laslo that I'd have this project finished in  
five years, and I am not about to let them down." she said.  
Sir Thorpe took her hand and their eyes met for just a moment. They both  
started to blush a bit and then Erin turned away. "Well, lets go meet our guests."  
she said.  
The Cyberknight led Erin through the camp to the tent where the strangers  
were being kept. Several people in the camp who were going about their business  
getting things ready for the next day gave her acknowledging nods or smiles. She  
noticed Jasper sitting at the entrance to the tent. He was all fours and was  
sniffing at the air. He turned and growled for seconds, but the instant he noticed  
Erin's scent he backed down. Jasper sat up and looked at Erin with admiration and  
trust. She was the reason why he was even alive. Erin reached out and scratched  
him on the head which was a strange cross between that of a human and a canine.  
"Sorry bout that." Jasper said in a gravelly voice.  
Inside Erin saw the little girl sitting with her knees under her chin. Her  
twin ponytails of sky blue hair sparkled in the light of a small oil lamp that sat  
in the middle of the tent. She was sitting beside a teenaged girl who has purple  
hair done in a bowl-cut style with twin ponytails that draped down either side of  
her face. The child heard the sound of someone entering the tent and looked up  
with a frightened look. Her fear wavered a little when she saw Erin. She looked  
like she might be somebody's grandmother.  
"Hello, little one. My name is Erin, what is yours?" Erin said calmly as she  
sat down in front of the little girl.  
"S-S-Sasami." the little girl said.  
"Your among friends here, Sasami, your in no danger from anyone here." Erin  
told her.  
"W-W-Where are we?" Sasami asked.  
"You are in my camp, other than that this place doesn't really have a name."  
Erin said. "Do you know what happened to you?"  
"The last thing I remember was Washu talking about something wrong and then  
I get really dizzy and sick and then I woke up here and saw a werewolf monster." she   
said.  
Erin giggled and looked towards the entrance where she knew Jasper was  
sitting keeping watch over the newcomers. "That was Jasper, his bark is worse than  
his bite, and he's not a werewolf." she said.  
"But, he looked like a half-man half-dog." Sasami said.  
"We call his kind Dog Boys. His is an engineered species." Erin told her with  
a smile.  
"He was made in a lab?" Sasami asked.  
"No, but his mother was." Erin explained.  
"Wow, just like Ryoko." Sasami said. Erin was glad to see the child start to  
open up to her. "I think your a nice person, I can tell that about people."  
"Thank you. Who are your friends?" Erin asked.  
Sasami pointws out eveyone and told Erin their names. She was surprised when  
Sasami explained that the two named Ryoko and Aeka were both married to the same  
man which happened to be the young man she found hours ago.  
"This Tenchi, he's married to your sister and this other woman nameed  
Ryoko too." Erin said.  
"Ya. They used to fight over him like cats and dogs, but in the end they  
both won his heart." Sasami explained. "Tenchi is a really really nice guy."  
"How did you all meet?" Erin asked.  
"Tenchi met Ryoko first, she was trapped in a cave for 700 years and he  
released her. After that my sister and I came to Earth looking for our Brother  
Yosho and we got standed and Tenchi let us move in to his house. Everybody else just  
started showing up not long after." Sasami explained.  
"You said you and your sister went to Earth, from where did you come from?"  
Erin asked, her curiosity was arroused by this little girl.  
"Our home on Planet Jurai. Our father is the Emperor there, and Aeka was  
betrothed to Brother Yoshi, but he's only our half-brother. He ran off a long time  
ago to chase Ryoko because she attacked Jurai, but we didn't know until later that  
she was being controlled by a really aweful man named Kagato." Sasami said.  
Erin sat and talked with Sasami for a good hour and a half about different  
things. She mentally collected a great deal of information about the people they  
rescued. When she was done she tucked Sasami into her sleeping bad and gave her a  
goodnight kiss on the forehead. Erin was met by Jasper who was still sitting on  
guard duty outside.  
"You were in there a long time, Erin." Jasper said.  
"I learned a great deal about our guests. Only two of them are actually  
humans, and the rest are all different alien species and two engineered beings."  
Erin said.  
"Engineered beings. You mean like me?" the Dog Boy asked.  
"The little half-rabbit half-cat creature and the young woman with white  
hair." Erin explained.  
Jasper was a little surprised about the young woman. "She's beautiful, and  
she is engineered." he said.  
"She's also married to the younger man, and so is the other young woman with the  
dark purple hair. Also, it appears they are members of royalty." Erin explained.  
Sir Thorpe walked up when he noticed Erin's voice outside. "Did you say they  
were Royalty?" he said.  
"The young girl is named Sasami, and she is a princess, the young man is the  
heir to the throne, and her sister is his wife. The beautiful woman with white hair  
is an engineered lifeform and the prince's second wife." Erin told him.  
"Paligomy is a common practice of royalty." the Cyberknight said.  
"We'll learn more when the others wake up." Erin said.  
"Do you think there might be any danger?" Sir Thorpe asked her.  
"No I don't think so." Erin said.  
The cyberknight escorted Erin back to her private tent, he went outside so she  
could change in private and he sat down in a lotus position at the entance. Sir  
Thorpe went to sleep, but if anyone or anything were to approach the tent he would  
be awake in seconds. Several other forms moved in the night. Zarn walked along  
parameter of the camp on his night patrol. His patsy white face was bright in the  
full light of the moon, and the warm summer night wind flowed through his waist  
length white hair. The Psi-Stalker looked back at the camp and he could FEEL the  
presence of everyone there. He could smell their living essence just like it  
was a actually scent on the air. The essence of the newcomers was unique to his  
senses, but he could tell that they were very powerful. He could feel Erin's   
distinct essence as she slept in her tent. Just like Jasper, Zarn also owed his life  
to Erin Tarn and was loyal to her and her cause.  
In her tent Erin could not sleep. She sat up in her cott and walked over to a   
small chest. She opened it and peered inside. The belongings of the newcomers were  
inside. She looked at the strange energy weapons they took off two of the women,  
a wooden Japanese training sword that belonged to the old man, and a variety of   
different item that could be weapons. One item caught her eye, it was wrapped in  
cloth to keep it safe, and to also prevent it from harming the hand of whomever  
tried to touch it. It was a beautifully crafted wooden sword hilt that had no  
blade. She had never seen its like anywhere, and wondered what it was. She  
had let Lauren, a vetern Technowizard look over it but even she was at a miss to  
explain how it worked. She delicately put the sword hilt back in its place and  
closed the lid of the chest, then she layed down on her cott and promptly fell   
asleep.  
  
The morning sun rose over Erin Tarn's camp and everyone stretched and climbed  
out into the light. In the tent that had been put up for the newcomers, Sasami  
woke up and she was happy to see Tenchi sitting up. She crawled over to him and  
hugged him tight.  
"Sasami, where are we?" he asked groggily.  
"I don't know, but we're not on the Yagami anymore." she said.  
"Huh?" he said as he looked around and for the first time noticed that he was  
in a tent.  
"A Tent? How did we get here?" he asked.  
"A woman name Erin Tarn and her friends found us and broght us here. I don't  
know much else." Sasami told him.  
Ryoko sat up next and she looked around in surprise. "What the hell is going  
on? Where are we?" asked.  
"Something happened on Yagami, we'd better get Washu up and see if she knows  
what's going on." Tenchi said.  
Right on cue the red headed scientist sat up and scratched her head. She  
stretched and yawned deeply. "That was a really great sleep." she purred.  
"What did you do, Mom?" Ryoko yelled making Washu face faulter.  
"Calm down, this is temporary. Yagami was passing through a dimensional  
distortion field and I had to teleport us out or we'd all be nice and gooy red   
splatters on the floor." Washu explained.  
"Is Yagami still in space?" Tenchi asked.  
"Its on the course that Kiyone programmed into it. It will pass out of the  
distortion field and it will be safe for us to return." Washu said.  
"How long?" he asked, almost fraid to find out.  
Washu took on a pained and innocent look. "About six or seven days." she  
said in a voice that sometimes Mihoshi used when she did some wrong.  
Tenchi hung his head for a minute and then looked up to his beautiful wife. He  
could still feel her through their link. "Well, at least we're all together." he  
said.  
"Oh, no, where is it, where is it?" Mihoshi start crying.  
"Where is what?" Kiyone asked her as she sat up.  
"My control cube! Its gone!" Mihoshi wailed.  
"Hey! My blaster is missing too!" Kiyone said after checking herself.  
"So is my bokken." Yosho said after checking himself.  
Aeka turned to Tenchi quickly. "The Master Key!" she shouted.  
Tecnhi patted himself down and hung his head. "Gone." he sighed.  
Everyone turned when he heard the zipper at the tent entrance open. A short  
woman in her sixties entered and smiled at them. She walked up and offered a box and  
a pair of cantina to them.  
"I'm sorry about this, but its all we have right now until we get to Tolkeen  
to replenish our supplies." Erin told them.  
"Ms. Tarn, do you know where our things are?" Sasami asked with a suspicious  
face.  
"I heard your outcry all the way outside. You see, we didn't know who you  
were, so we naturally wanted to disarm you until we knew more about you." she  
said. "I put your things in a chest in my tent. I'll have someone bring it to you."  
"Sasami, you know this person?" Aeka asked.  
"We spoke last night, she was a bit frightened and we talked for a good while."  
Erin said and Sasami grinned and blushed.  
"Thank you." Aeka replied.  
"Who are you?" Tenchi asked after he took a drink of water from the cantina  
and handed it to Ryoko.  
"My name is Erin Tarn. I'm an explorer and scientist doing a geographical and  
geological survey of this region for the council of New Lazlo." she said.  
Sir Thorpe ducked in through the entrance to the tent and sat down next to  
Erin, he placed the chest that contain their belongs on the ground and everyone   
started looking for their things. Tenchi took out the Master Key and unwrapped it.  
Erin was surprise to find that Tenchi could handle the sword hilt without being  
harmed. She remember how funny it looked when Sir Thorpe tried to take the object  
off the boy and kept getting his hand shocked.  
""Where are we, Ms. Tarn?" Yosho asked a he pulled out his bokken and put it  
back into his gi.  
"We are 100 miles southwest of Chi-Town within the territories of the Coalistion  
States of North America." Sir Thorpe answered the question.  
"North America!" Noboyuki said in surprise.  
"Interesting. An alternate universe where there is no United States of America."  
Washu said.  
"You know what happened? I thought you'd all might be surprised if I told you."  
Erin said.  
"We are very familar with interdimensional travel." Washu said.  
"Are you a scientist, Miss Washu?" Erin asked.  
"Yes, I am the greatest scientific genius in the universe. And could you  
please call me, Little Washu?" Washu said with a huge smile.  
"Ok, hu, Little Washu." Erin said.  
"I see your a swordsman." Yosho said looking at Sir Thorpe's sword. The  
cyberknight drew the weapon and held it out for the old man to see. It was an elegent  
looking weapon with strange runic markings on the blade and hilt was beautiful and  
almost seemed alive.  
"Its a Sword of Alantis, it was a gift given to me after our rather dangerous  
journey to that land." the cyberknight said.  
"Do you do any sparing?" Yosho asked as he looked at the weapon in awe.  
"I haven't spared in ages. Do you have some skill with the sword?" Sir Thorpe  
asked.  
"I am Tenchi's grandfather and his instructor in sword fighting." Yosho said.  
"Then, I'd be honored to do some sparing with you, hm, I don't even know your  
name sir." Sir Thorpe said.  
"On Earth many know me as Katsuhito, but you can called me Yosho." Yosho told  
him.  
Everyone climbed out of the tent and looked around at their surroundings. They  
heard a loud screaching sound and turned to see Ryu-Ohki standing with her hair  
sticking up hissing at a half-human half-dog creature that sat next to the tent.  
"Ryu-Ohki stop, Erin told me he's ok." Sasami said to the Cabbit as she waved  
a finger in her face.  
"Miya, miya miya miya miya!" meowed the Cabbit.  
"Is that furball a cat or a rabbit?" Jasper asked.  
Instantly Ryu-Ohki transformed into her child humanoid form and took Sasami's  
hand. Jasper jumped and stepped back a bit.  
"Incredible, and adorable too." Erin said.  
Several others from the camp walked up and looked the newcomers over. Zarn  
was one of them and he gave each one his once over. He walked up to Ryoko, Aeka,  
and Tenchi and he could feel something about them. It was something that he was  
very familar with. "These have Psionic abiltities, and they feel very very  
strong." he said in a low voice that was almost a whisper.  
"This is Zarn, he is what we call a Psi-Stalker. It taken a great deal of work  
but we were able to help him learn self-control." Erin said.  
"Why is that?" Kiyone asked.  
"Psi-Stalkers feed on the natureal potential psychic energy that all living  
things hold within them. Many have gone wild and they kill indiscriminately to get  
the energy they need.  
"Sounds very familar." Washu said.  
"Myself, Aeka, and Ryoko here share a mental and spiritual link. We are also  
married." Tenchi explained.  
"Sasami told me you were married, but she didn't mention the link part."   
Mihoshi walked off from the group and stolled up to the edge of the camp. She  
looked towards the south and noticed something there. "That is beautiful, what is  
that over there?" she asked.  
Erin and the others turned around and looked. Mihoshi was pointing to a bright  
light in the distance. On either side of the bright light was a faiont blue arura  
and trails of blue light that seemed to travel along the ground for miles.  
"We found you there. That is a Nexus Point." Erin said.  
"What is the blue light on either side?" Tenchi asked.  
"Those are Ley Lines. They encircle the globe, and where they cross a nexus  
point is formed. On certain nights with a full moon the nexus points erupt and  
form dimensional rifts." Sir Thorpe explained.  
"Ley Lines don't normally have that level of power. What happened on this  
world?" Washu asked.  
"I have my suspicions, but all we know is that one day all the great  
civilations of mankind fell and the Ley Lines became energized when billions of   
people suddenly died. The disasster layed this world to waste, and it altered the  
landscape as well." Erin said.  
Washu put out her heads and summoned her holocompute. There were some gasps  
from the crowd of onlookers. "How long ago did all this happen?" Washu asked.  
"That we can't tell. We only started recording history again about 120 year  
ago." Erin said.  
"What is a Ley Line, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.  
"The mystical crossroads that bind worlds together, Tenchi. Every planet  
has them, only I've never seen them this powerful before." Washu said.  
  
Later in the day everyone was gathered to watch Yosho and Sir Thorpe spar with  
each other. Everyone in Erin's group has seen Sir Thorpe in battle but they  
did not see how this older man could handle a sword fight let alone a sword. When  
the fight started their opinions suddenly changed as Yosho used his wooden bokken to  
defect several bokken strikes from the cyberknight. The old man was leaping and   
sumersaulting in ways that amazed all of them, and it was all Sir Thorpe could do  
to keep up. It in the end it ended with a stalemate when they broke each other's  
bokkens at once. Everyone clapped and cheered, and the cyberknight and Yosho bowed  
low to them.  
"You are an excellent sword fighter. I've never seen such skill before."  
Sir Thorpe said with true admiration in his voice.  
"They are moves I learned when I served as a Knight of Jurai." Yosho said.  
"You are a true knight?" Sir Thorpe said with surprise.  
"That was a long time ago. I serve as a priest now." Yosho said.  
"You are a man of true honor sir. I am honored to have spared with you.  
Would you mind teaching me a few of those moves?" the cyberknight asked.  
"Tenchi and I have training to do later today, you can join us if you like."  
Yosho replied.  
"I would enjoy that immensely." the cyberknight said.  
  
Washu sat on a large rock and was typing quickly on her holocomputer. She  
stopped for moment and noticed a young man wearing the garb of an old World War II  
flying ace mixed with modern devices watching her. He was holding a large board  
that look like a large flying wing but it appeared to have no engines in it at all.  
"Could I help you?" she asked.  
"What sort of Techowizard are you? I've never seen a magical comptuer befroe."  
he asked.  
"This is a transphasic interdimensional computer system. Its my own design."  
Washu said with a beaming smile.  
"So its not magical, but then how does it float in the air like that?" the man  
asked.  
"Its does that via gravitics." Washu expalined. "Its a technique of altering  
the gavitational field around an object to achieve movement. In this case I am  
just keeping it in place."  
"That's fascinating. Have you ever seen a Wing Board?" the man asked.  
"That, well something like it. Its a sort of a glider right." Washu said.  
"Nope. Its a Technowizard device. Watch." the man said as he stood up,  
lift the board, and closed for eyes for a second.  
Instantly there was a rush of wind and a soft roar as two engines on the  
outer ends of the board suddenly came to life. The man was airborn in seconds  
and he soared over the encampment a few times before coming back down to Earth  
next to Washu. The genius was typing and looking at the man with surprise on  
her face.  
"That device has no energy output at all. How does it work?" she asked.  
"Its a Technowizard device, its powered by magic. As are these items  
also." the man said as he produced an energy pistol.  
Washu examined the weapon and found it had no energy clip but did have  
a strange setting where the clip should be with a few gemstones in it.  
"So you use magic to power the devices instead of regular power clips?" she  
asked the man.  
"Yup. I don't ever have to recharge my power packs because I am my own power  
pack. The magic I use to power these devices comes from me." he said.  
"Interesting. Say what is your name?" Washu saked.  
"Hagan, but my friends call me Ace." the Technowizard said.  
"Well, Ace, with all the magical energy on this planet I see how you are able  
to accomplish this." Washu said.  
"Erin said your a scientist. Do you know where the Ley Lines came from?"  
Ace asked her.  
"My readings indicate a large amount of Plutonium residue in the soil. Its  
just about everywhere, but from the decay levels and the known half-life of that  
material I'd say it happened about three thousaid years ago." Washu said.  
"What happened three thousand years ago?" Ace asked.  
"An exercise in inmeasurable stupidity on the part of humanity. Do you know  
what Plutonium is?" Washu asked him.  
"Actually no, never heard of it." Ace said.  
"Its a man made radioactive material used to fuel nuclear reactors, and it  
was also used in the warheads of nuclear weapons." Washu explained.  
Ace's eyes went wide. He know what nuclear weapons were and what they did. He  
looked around the landscape and towards the nexus point that stood in the distance.  
"You mean we did this to ourselves? We caused the coming of the Rifts?" he  
asked her.  
"A nuclear war would certainly explain the levels of plutonium I am detecting,  
and it would explain how so many billions of people died at once to energize the   
ley lines like this." Washu answered.  
"It would have taken a lot of those weapons to do this." Ace commented.  
"At the height of what the American's called the Cold War the United States  
had 350 million armed nuclear ICBMs, and the Soviet Union about about 420  
million armed ICBMs. They had more than enough to destroy this planet ten times  
over." she explained.  
"Holy shit!" Ace exclaimed.  
"Yes, I'd say life was probably pretty harsh for anyone who survived that  
mess. It would have been hell on Earth for them. I see no evidence of a nuclear  
winter, but my scans for miles around show that it took thousands of years for this  
land to recover." Washu said with a sigh. "What a waste."  
Erin had been listening to her from a distance and she decided to join them.  
"I guess you could say this is a situation where we made our bed and now we have to  
sleep in it. I only whish the Coaltion would see it that way." she said.  
"I heard people saying things about this Coalition, but I never found out   
much more." Washu said.  
"I guess they are a dual edged sword, mankind couldn't survive without them  
and with them we are not free. The Coaltion States is a dictatorship that was  
started by Joseph Prosek, who eventually declared himself emperor. He models his  
regime after Natzi Germany and he idolizes Adolph Hitler of all people. Literacy  
is banned in the CS, and if you own a book you are take to prison. He feels that  
he can control the people by controlling thought and controlling who is allowed  
to be educated and who is not." Erin told her.  
"Sounds like a real warm hearted guy." Washu said with sarcasm. This made  
Erin smile and she sat down next to the diminutive scientist.  
"That is why we have to be so cautious. I am making a book, actually a second  
book, about the changes that effected our world and Emperor Prosek considers me  
an outlaw. He has ordered my execution." Erin said.  
"So your on the run all the time?" Washu asked.  
"Not all the time, we are in CS territory right now, and we are 100 miles from  
Chi-Town, a large fortress city that is their capital." Erin explained. "But, we are  
in a region that is not heavy populated and so they don't patrol here often. To the  
east is the kingdom of Tolkeen, to the northeast is Lazlo and New Lazlo, and to the  
south are the city-states of New Mexico. There is another empire to the east that  
is close to Tolkeen called the Federation of Magic. They are the enemy of the   
Coalition States and they have started campaigns against one another again."  
"Just how powerful is this Coalition?" Washu asked.  
"They are a mechanized army of abour 14,000 troops and an arsonal of advanced  
weapon systems ranging from powered armro, mechs, and flying troop transports."  
Erin explained.  
Suddenly a shout came from the distance and Erin stood up. She listened and  
then swore under her breath. "Damn!" she explaimed.  
"What is it?" Washu asked.  
"Coaltion SAMAS flying powered armor on patrol. They are getting close to  
the camp." she said.   
  
Sir Thorpe ran towards the sound of the shouting and met with a man wearing  
a full armor body suit. He was using a telescope to look into the distance. Slung  
over the man's shoulder was a large energy rifle with a huge drum like energy  
cartridge.  
"Three SAMAS, they don't see us yet. They are doing a circle pattern search of  
the ground, flying low." the man said.  
"How long til they get close enough to see us?" Sir Thorpe asked.  
"Ten maybe fifteen minutes." the man replied.  
"Not enough time to break down the camp. We're going to have to make a stand  
then." the cyberknight said.  
"I'd better go get my Glitterboy then. We'll need the firepower." the man  
said as he put away his telescope and ran for the woods.  
  
Tenchi and Aeka met up at the tent after the announcement of the coming  
attack was heard throughout the camp. He was not sure what to expect, and he  
was worried for the others safety.  
[Lord Tenchi, we need to talk.] Aeka said mentally to him.  
[What about, Aeka?] he asked.  
[We should help thses people. After all they did help us.] she said.  
[Ya, they did help us.] Ryoko said from her positon on the other side of the  
camp.  
[Alright, I'll talk to Erin and see if she accepts or offer.] Tenchi said.  
  
The camp was a scene of controlled chaos as the twenty or so members of Erin's  
group prepared for the arrival of the SAMAS. Tenchi and the gang ran about helping  
so little jobs like putting the camp fire and stowing away equipment into boxes.  
Tenchi ran up to Erin's tent and ducked inside. The woman was putting a clip to a  
pistol when he entered.  
"Tenchi, you and your friends go and head for the woods. We'll keep them  
off of you until the fight is over." she said.  
"That's what I came here about, we went to help you." he said.  
"That is sweet of you, but I can't ask you and your friends to risk your lives  
for us." she said.  
"We're used to it, believe me. Besides, you helpe us. You didn't have to  
shelter us until we woke up." Tenchi said.  
"True, but only your two friends Mihoshi and Kiyone, I believe, appeared to be  
armed." Erin said.  
"That is a misconception, just give us a chance." Ryoko said as she phased   
through the cloth of the tent.  
"How did you? Ok, you can help, but any sign of real trouble and I want you  
and your girls to hit the forest. Ok?" Erin told them.  
"Deal." Tenchi said with a smile.  
Aeka ducked into the tent and stood beside Tenchi. "I sent Yosho into the   
forest with Sasami and your father. Kiyone and Mihoshi insist that they stay to  
help also." she said.  
"You can count me in too." Washu said as she entered the tent.  
"What can you do, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.  
"First, I have to tell you about what I discovered about this world, and I  
also want to warm you too." Washu said looking at Tenchi and Ryoko. "If you use the  
Light Hawk Wings and the Light Hawk Swords I want you two to be very careful."  
"Why?" Ryoko asked.  
"You might accident slice this planet in half." she said with a straight face.  
"I know that look, your not making this up. What's going on?" Tenchi asked.  
"There is so much magical energy in this world that my normal magical powers,  
Ryoko's gems, Aeka's Jurai power, and your own powers of the Light Hawk will be  
amplified nearly a thousands times. Anybody or anything that comes to this world  
with the slightest magical abiltities will suddenly become a super being." Washu  
explained.  
"People who are weaklings come here by chance and suddenly discover that they  
are super powered beings that are nearly indestructable." Erin said.  
"Its been happening for centuries, and that is why this place is the way it  
is. We were only here for a little while, but this place is home to hundreds of  
non-human races of creatures from all over the megaverse." Washu told them.  
"Sort of an interdimensional grand central station." Tenchi said.  
"Exactly. Also, it appears that our friends the Darklings were here once  
also." Washu said.  
"I'm not surprised." Aeka commented.  
"How do you know that?" Tenchi asked.  
"I am the greatest scientific genius in any universe, you should know that by  
now Tenchi." Washu said with a bright smile.  
Tenchi face faultered and Erin just chuckled at the sight of him.  
"Ok, so our powers are sort of turbo charged in this universe. Lets go out  
there and kick some Coalition ass." Ryoko said as she grabbed Tenchi and Aeka, and  
then phased up through the roof of the tent.  
Washu and Erin rushed outside and Sir Thorpe ran up to them. "What are they  
doing?" he asked.  
"I think they are going to confront the SAMAS. And, if what I hear is correct  
I feel sorry for the SAMAS." Erin said.  
  
"Nothing like the rush of going into battle, huh, Tencchi?" Ryoko asked as they  
all three flew through the air.  
"That seems like all we've been doing since we all three got together." he  
replied.  
"We must endure, because at the end we will be able to enjoy the rest of our  
lives together in peace." Aeka said.  
"That's the part I'm looking forward to." Tenchi said and his two wives just  
smiled back at him.  
Suddenly they were interrupted from their moment by the sound of roaring  
engines. Ryoko looked up and saw three objects racing through the sky in their  
direction. They were humanoid in shape with two large wings mounted on their  
backs where a thruster pack was attached to the armored body of the suit, and  
each leg had a smaller Connard Wind for stability. The two larger wings each had  
two missiles mounted there, and in their hands the SAMAS held a long barreled   
cannon of some type.  
"Its show time!" Ryoko shouted and she dropped Tenchi and Aeka. The two  
fell and instantly transformed into their Juraian battlegear. Aeka possessed limited  
lying power in her battlesuit, and Tenchi used his inner powers to create a field  
that held him in midair.  
  
The SAMAS flying power armor flew a low arch over the ground and made a  
harp turn. It was then that one of them spotted the three flying through the air  
towards them.  
"This is Grey three to Grey one, I have bogies at 6 o'clock." said one of the pilots  
over the comm.  
"Affirmative, I see them. We'd better investigate." Grey one said over the  
comm.  
"Roger." said Grey three and two at the same time.  
The three powered armor peeled off and flew in the direction of the three  
new arrivals.  
  
The first SAMAS spotted Ryoko flying towards him and his first impression was  
that she was very beautiful, but also he felt a revultion for the fact that she was  
some kind of in-human creature. He raised his railgun and started to open fire.  
Ryoko dodged as high velocity slugs streaked by her making vapor trails in the air,  
and she ignited her light sword. The blade was twice as bright as normal, and it  
appeared to be larger than before. The SAMAS changed course, locked on, and let  
loose one of its missiles. The warhead hit Ryoko's shield and a large plasma energy  
blast errupted. Tenchi cried out Ryoko's name as he saw her engulfed, but when the  
blue glow of the blast faded she was in one piece hovering in midair.  
[I'm ok, that didn't even phase my shield at all.] Ryoko said.  
[True, but our friends down below don't have shields.] Aeka said.  
[Lets deal with these before they radio back for help.] Tenchi said.  
[Finally, a little bit of me is starting to wear off onto you, its about time,  
Tenchi.] Ryoko giggled.  
A second SAMAS roared in and started to fire slugs at Tenchi, he raised his  
shield and they deflected off. For an instant he concentrated and then called  
forth the Light Hawk Wings. Six brilliantly bright wings of the Light Hawk surrounded  
his body, two formed his white holy aroor, and a third formed his sword. Using  
the power of flight they gave him, Tenchi soared through the air and raced towards  
the SAMAS that fired on him. When the came close to it he swung his sword and  
release a blast of energy that hit its mark and totally obliterated the power armor.  
  
Erin watched the battle from the ground and she watched as Tenchi blasted one  
of the SAMAS out of existance. Sir Thorpe's eye brow went up in a Spock Manouver,  
and Greuger yelled and gave him a thumbs up sign.  
"My god! Did you see what he just did?" Erin asked.  
"One hit. He took it out in one hit." Sir Thorpe said in observation.  
"Totally cool!" Greuger shouted.  
"Impressive show of power. I've never seen the like before." said the young  
woman who had errected the tent the night before.  
"He wasn't even trying hard. My Little Ryoko could have done that in her  
sleep." Washu said.  
  
Ryoko and Aeka looked at the falling debris of the SAMAS Tenchi just blasted  
with amazement. Tenchi himself looked at it in awe of what he just did, and then  
he came out of it when a blue blast hit his Light Hawk Wings. After recovering  
from the missile he turned and saw Ryoko baring down on the SAMAS that fired on  
him. She dove at it and sliced off a wing with her light sword. The SAMAS, now  
unable to fly with just one wing, dropped like a rock and exploded on the ground.  
The third SAMAS made a quick turn and poured on the speed to escape.  
[Hey, he's buggin out!] Ryoko said.  
[Let him go, I think he gets the picture we are nothing to trifle with.]  
Aeka said.  
[You really didn't do anything, Princess.] Ryoko said.  
[I didn't get the chance.] she shot back.  
[Be good.] Tenchi said.  
  
Erin ran up to the three as they touched down to Earth. A cheer went up in  
the group of people who travelled with the scientist. Erin however was not in a very  
good mood.  
"Why didn't you take out the last one?" she demanded.  
"I don't attack fleeing opponents." Tenchi said.  
"That fleeing opponent is just going to call in reinforcements. That could means  
we could have Enforcers or even Death's Heads baring down on us pretty soon." Erin said.  
"We'd better break camp and start moving. Maybe we can put some distance  
between us and them." Sir Thrope said.  
"You saw what we can do, if we run into trouble we can deal with it." Ryoko  
said.  
"Ok. I admit I was impressed by your abilities. Your more powerful than many  
things I've seen in this world." Erin replied.  
"We'd better get going then. I'll go get Dad and the others, you two help out  
here." Tenchi said.  
"Alright." the two woman said at the same time.  
Kreuger did a Spock Manouver with his eye brow and looked at Tenchi and then  
back at the two beautiful women who were with him. "They're married to him." Erin  
told him. The Juicer sighed and hung his head grumbling something about all the  
good looking ones are all taken nowadays.  
  
A few days passed without incident as the group began to move again. To the  
surprise of everyone the camp was broken down in only a twenty minutes and they were  
all ready to start moving soon after. It had come from long practice and experience  
from traveling around the world. On their journey Erin explained more about her  
world to the others. She told them about the Juicers, which were chemically   
enchanced warriors who had a special drug feed into their systems to make them  
stronger and fast. The only drawback was that you only had five years to live since  
the drugs put a terrible strain on your body. She told of the Ley Line Walkers, who  
were the magic users of her group, and the Techowizards who could combine magic  
with technology.  
She told about the Cyberknights like Sir Thorpe, who were wandering protectors  
of the weak and innocent. They brought justice to an unjust land and acted as  
sheriff, judge, and executioner. She told about the Dog Boys, which were geneticly  
created beings made from human and dog DNA, and were breed by the Coaltion to hunt   
down magic users, and the Psi-Stalkers who were PPE vampires who the Coalition used  
to hunt down people with psionic powers. The last she pointed out was the Glitterboy,  
and the name made Noboyuki chuckle a little. Erin pointed into the forest and  
everyone looked to see a humanoid mech that was covered in shiny silver from head to  
toe, and had a large cannon mounted to its back.  
"That is the BoomGun, and if he has to fire it I want you to plug your ears  
because it makes a sonic boom when it fires. Its an electromagnetic railgun that  
fires shell of metal flichetes that sort of act like armor piercing buckshot. The  
silver surface is laser reflective, and because of that plasma based weapons only  
do half as much damage to its armor. The BoomGun has such a powerful recoil that it  
that the Glitterboy has to fire pilons into the ground through its feet and use a  
rocket assisted recoil suppression system. One good shot and a Glitterboy and down  
just about anything." Erin explained.  
"Wow." everyone said at once.  
Sir Thorpe pulled his rifle off his shoulder and handed it to Tenchi. The  
weight of the weapon nearly made him fall over. "That's a Coalition C-27 Plasma  
Cannon, the most powerful heavy weapons rifle ever made." he explained. "It has  
an effect range of three miles, and can fire in pulse or burst mode. In burst  
mode it can take out almsot anything you hit with it."  
Later that day they took shelter in the ruins of a large structure. It took  
Noboyuki only a few minutes to realize where he was. He sat up and looked around  
at the ruined interior and then he gasped as he recalled where he was. He stook  
and walked up to a moss and vine covered wall and brushed the dust away from a  
large flat panel. The faded words on the panel read "St. Louis International  
Airport".  
"I was here a few years ago when I went to that architech's convention in the  
states that one time." he said.  
"What was this place used for?" Erin asked him.  
"It was an international airport in the American city of St. Louis." he  
told her.  
"I guess the only things flying here are ghosts now." Erin commented with a  
sigh.  
On the fifth day the group stopped at the edge of a great valley, and they  
looked at the great expanse of virgin wilderness in front of them.  
"The Earth has healed from the wounds we gave it, but in some ways the  
scares are still left behind." Erin said when she pointed to the right and in the distance  
could be seen the faded blue arura of a ley line. They continued onward until  
nightfall and made camp among the sheltering trees. In their tent everyone was  
already asleep except for Tenchi. He sat at the entrance to tent and heard the  
sound of a twig snap. He looked up and saw Jasper settling down into his customery  
position to guard them.  
"You don't have to do that you know." he told the Dog Boy.  
"Ms. Tarn asked me to, and I won't let her down." Jasper said.  
"Well, thank you anyway." Tenchi said with a smile.  
The Dog Boy tried to return the smile, but his dog/human face made more of a  
toothy grimace.  
Aeka climbed out of the tent, kneeled down behind Tenchi and wrapped her arms  
around him in Ryoko style. He smile and rubbed her arm gently as she rest her head  
on his shoulder.  
"One more day and it will be safe for us to return to the Yagami. How are you  
holding up?" he asked her.  
"As good as can be expected, I guess." she said. She tightened her hug and  
Tenchi reach behind and messaged her neck. She gave out a contented sigh and  
kissed his neck. Jasper took this all as his queue to relocate himself, and he  
silently moved to the other side of the tent.  
"This place reminds of our garden on Jurai. We have a large grove of trees  
like this one." Aeka said.  
"I can't wait to see it. I've never been to Jurai before." Tenchi said.  
"I hope we are allowed some time to enjoy our time there. We will still have  
the Darklings to deal with." She said with a sigh.  
"At least the world slows down enough to let us have these peaceful moments  
like this at least." Tenchi commented as he ran his fingers through Aeka's hair.  
Aeka kissed him again and they stayed like this for a while. Ryoko phased  
out of the tent and sat down next to them. Tenchi reached out and took her hand  
and she gingerly touched his to her face.  
"This is really peaceful." she said.  
"Yes it is." Aeka commented.  
Out of the shadowss of the other trees emerged Erin. She walked up to them  
and sat down. "It looks like we shook any purssuit that might have arrived." she  
said.  
"I hope so, this place is very peaceful." Aeka said.  
"That's because we are on the boarder of the Federation of Magic, and there  
aren't really any settlements out this way." Erin said.  
"What is with this Federation of Magic anyway?" Tenchi asked.  
"Their name is misleading. They are not very friendly at all except to their  
own kind, magic users and magical beings. They perform sacrifics to dark gods and  
do all sorts of bizare magical experiments. I've only been within one of their  
cities once, and I don't care to return." Erin replied.  
"Sounds, barbaric." Aeka commented.  
"What is your world like? I know alot about all of you, but what is it like  
where you come from?" Erin asked.  
"Earth is alot like this place, but we don't have ley lines like you do, and  
there are no monsters roaming around. There are billions of people, but its mostly  
peaceful when they're not waring with one another for one reason or another." Tenchi  
said.  
"Jurai is a beautiful planet. We have never been at war with one another in  
several thousand years because we are united under Tsunami, but we do have enemies  
and have fought wars in our past to protect ourselves." Aeka said.  
"I have no homeworld. I was created by Washu and the only home I've ever  
know was Tenchi's house, and the Soja when I was Kagato's slave." Ryoko said. Tenchi  
squeezed her hand when she mentioned the Soja.  
"Sasami told me a little about that. I think its very beautiful what the  
three of you have. She told me the two of you used to fight like cats and dogs  
over Tenchi here, until he got the balls to tell you how he feels." Erin said.  
Aeka chuckled slightly. "One of my favorite sayings about Lord Tenchi was,  
my how quickly he runs." "It took us a while, but we broke through that steel trap  
will of his." Ryoko said.  
"It was mostly self-denial. I could not imagine myself involved with two girls  
at the same time, and I had no idea of how to make it work out. I was so afraid for  
so long that if I told them how I feel they would kill each other in a rage of  
jealousy over me. But, one day I found a reference to the Great Bond in a text of  
Juraian law and folklore." Tenchi explained. "After that its been wonderful, until  
the Darkness arrived and turned our world upside down."  
"Washu told me about the Darkness. Such creatures would be very powerful in  
our world indeed. She said she found evidence that they had been here, but they  
left. She said they found no evidence of the Elo'Quin here and moved on. If they  
stayed I fear every force on this planet would have been fighting against them."  
Erin said.  
"We'll be leaving tomarrow for our universe. Will all of you be ok when we  
leave?" Tenchi asked.  
"We'll carry on I think. We didn't survive this long for nothing." Erin said  
with a laugh.  
"Good luck on your new book. I hope it brings help to your world." Aeka said.  
"Thank you, Princess." Erin replied with a smile.  
  
The morning came too soon for each of them. Tenchi, his wives, and the rest of  
the gang were gathered in a clearing with Erin and her crew of assistance and  
defenders making a semi-circle around them.  
"I guess this is goodbye." Erin said with a tear in her eye.  
"It been fun, but we have a mission to carry out." Tenchi said.  
"Be careful out there, Ok?" SAssami said with a wave.  
"We will little one." Erin said.  
"Miya!" meowed Ryu-Ohki who was in child form.  
Washu stated typing on her keyboard and looked up at her daughter and friends.  
"Ok, Yagami is almost clear, here we go." she said. She pressed a button on her  
holocomputer and the world around them started to shimmer. To the onlookers it looked  
like Tenchi and the group were surrounded by a great bubble, and suddenly it was  
gone and so was everyone else. Erin looked over at Sir Thorpe who has a solomn  
look on his face.  
"I guess its time to get back to our normal life." she said.  
Sir Thorpe put his hand on her shoulder and looked at her. "Maybe not." he  
said. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Erin smiled and blushed furiously  
and a chorus of OOHs and cat calls rang up from the group.  
"Lets talk this over in my tent." Erin said to him with a wide smile.  
  
Blinding white light surrounded everything and Tenchi could not see a thing.  
He could still feel himself holding Aeka and Ryoko's hands, and he could feel their  
minds in his, but he could not see beyond the white light. Sudeenly, he felt a   
sensation of acceleration and then it stopped as abruptly as it started, and then the  
light was gone and the world returned to normal. Or so he thought. Instead of the  
Yagami they all found themselves in a back alleyway behind some large buildings  
and several garbage dumpsters filled with trash.  
"What the hell?" Washu cursed as she started typing on her holocomputer  
again.  
"Where are we?" Ryoko asked.  
"It looks like a big city, maybe New York." Noboyuki said.  
"Why aren't we on the Yagami, Washu?" Tenchi asked.  
"Hold on, its the distortions, Yagami still isn't clear. Damn, its worse  
than I thought, it won't be clear for another six hours." she replied. "Uh, oh.  
I miscalculated, we're at the mercy of the interdimensional tide, we could teleport  
out of here at any second."  
"Oh, no!" Mihoshi cried.  
"We needn't get excited, its only temporary, right Washu?" Yosho asked.  
"Just until we can get back to Yagami, yes." she replied.  
A loud explosion filled the air and everyone looked up. A strange looking  
mech was flying through the air and landed only a block away from the alleyway. A  
series of light streaks went past a few seconds later. The streaks were pink, green,  
and blue. A deep meniacle laugh issued from the mech as it opened fire ont he three  
light streaks, and they each fell down to the ground with a loud crash. One of the  
streaks came down in the alleyway where Tenchi and the gang were standing. Aeka  
errected a force field to deflect large chunks of concret from the roadway that flew  
up when the explosion happened. As the dust cleared everyone was shocked to see  
a little girl climb out of the hole rubbing her head. She was small, smaller than  
Sasami, and was wearing a blue dress with a black belt and had blond hair. She blinked  
her blue eyes and looked at the people in front of her who looked back at her with  
surprise.  
"A-Are you alright little girl?" Tenchi asked as he helped her stand up.  
"I think so." she said and she looked up at him. Tenchi was smiling at her  
and he was the only thing she could see at that moemnt because the world around her  
was suddenly filled with hearts and twinkling stars.  
"Let me help you out of that hole." Tenchi said as he lifted her up and  
set her down on her shaky legs.  
"Oh, thank you. My name is Bubbles, what is your name?" the little girl asked  
with a dreamy look in her eyes. Aeka and Ryoko noticed her look very quickly and  
they started to chuckle. Yet another young girl was captured by the spell that was  
Tenchi Masaki.  
"My name is Tenchi. How did you get into that hole?" he asked.  
"That mean old Mojo shot me down. Me and my sisters are tyring to stop him  
from trashing Townsville again." she said.  
"Who is..." Tenchi was about o ask when the metal foot of the giant mech came  
crashing down in the alleyway near them. Tenchi grabbed up Bubbles in his arms and  
ran out of the way as the second foot crashed down where they had been standing.  
Ryoko and Aeka charged up their powers when they saw this and Ryoko lauched into  
the air.  
Elsewhere, Blossom and Buttercup were recovering from similar impacts of their  
own and were airborn again. They watched as the mech started stomping into a alley  
behind a bunch of low businesses buildings. "I saw Bubbles go down over there!"  
Blossom shouted. Suddenly, they stopped as a new figure emerged, a beautiful woman  
with white hair and a tight form fitting bodysuit that left nothing to the male  
imagination. "Who is that?" Buttercup asked. "I never saw her before." Blossom  
replied.  
The mech fired a blast from a side mounted cannon that deflected off of   
Ryoko's force field. She charged up her light sword and sliced it in half with a  
quick swipe, then she flew between its legs and clipped them both off at the knees.  
The mech toppled over with a loud thundering sound of grinding metal, and a billowing  
cloud of dust rose up. The two girls in midair looked on with their mouths hanging  
open in total surprise.  
On the ground Tenchi stood up after shielding Bubbles and Sasami from falling  
debris and looked at the wreckage of buildings and the mech that had been trying to  
smash them flat. A hatch opened in the side and a diminutive form climbed out. It  
was a monkey in human clothing with a purple cape and a large white turban like  
hood on the top of his head. It stopped, looked at them with loathing in its eyes,  
and pulled out a large blaster from its belt.  
"Who ever you may be, I am Mojo Jojo and you have incurred my wrath. Now I will  
have to destroy you for destroying my new RoboJojo, that is to say is I am going to  
vaporize you with this gun, and you are going to disappear into little puffs of   
smoke. MMMMWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" it shouted.  
Bubbles pulled out of Tenchi's grip and stood between him and the insane  
chimp. "No you won't!" she shouted back.  
"Oh, yes I will!" Mojo shouted.  
"Oh, no you won't!" Bubbles replied loudly.  
"Oh, yes, I will!!!" Mojo shouted again and fired.  
The beam streaked out but suddenly was deflected by a large white object that  
put itself between Bubbles and the beam. Bubbles looked up and was in awe at what  
she saw. Tenchi was clothed in white like an angel and he held a glowing white  
sword in his hands, and his body was surrounded by glowing wings.  
"What is this, I must know the nature of his power, for I will possess it, and  
I will possess it because I am the greatest criminal genius in the universe, and I  
will use it to conquer the world!" Mojo shouted.  
"Put a sock in it, banana breath!" Ryoko shouted as she slooped down and  
delivered a punch to Mojo Jojo's chin that sent him flying.  
Blossom and Buttercup witnessed the entire thing and they landed next to  
Tenchi. They looked from Tenchi to Bubbles to Ryoko and then back to Tenchi.  
"Who are you?" Blossom asked.  
"My name is Tenchi, that's my wife Ryoko?" Tenchi answered.  
"A-A-Are you angels?" Bubbles asked.  
"No, we are..." Tenchi started to say when he saw that same wavering effect  
all around him again.  
"Here we go, we're teleporting again!" Washu shouted.  
"Wait, why are you here, where did you come from?" Blossom asked.  
Before Tenchi could reply the world was all white again and they vanished from  
the alleyway leaving Blossom, Bubbles, and Butterccup totally perplexed.  
  
Swirling lights and colors blinded Tenchi's vision and he felt a srong sense of  
acceleration but there was no wind. He could still feel Aeka and Ryoko in his mind and  
they felt him also, but he could not see any of the others or hear them. In fact he was  
not able to hear anything other than a static like crackling caused by the arura of  
energy he was travelling through. Suddenly, the acceleration stopped and the world   
turned dark again. His vision returned and he was laying in a pile of sofa cousons and  
throw pillows. Ryoko appeared above him and helped him stand and he got a chance to   
really look around. They were back on Yagami, the living area looked like a disaster,  
but they were back where they belong.  
Washu had her holocomputer out and was deep in thought for a moment. She stopped  
and looked up. "We're clear, we made it back." she said.  
"About damn time." said Ryoko with a sigh of relief.  
  
On the bridge the twin blackholes were displayed in a rear display screen as they  
receeded into the distance. A clear starfield could be seen out the front viewports  
with no more abnormal forms visible to the naked eye. Masses of colored lights and   
streaks from time to time did appear from time to time due to the region of space they  
were currently in. Kiyone looked over the systems on the ship and found everything was  
in order and all the repairs that Washu had made were still in place. She scanned the  
charts that Washu had uploaded into the computer and carted a new course through a  
region of space that was very clear and devoid of further encounters with blackholes  
or anything else unexpected.  
Back in their room, Tenchi and his wives settled down for a long deserved rest. The  
two women rested their heads on his arms and he held them close as they slept there. The  
sound of the engines of the Yagami did not even stir them as they roared to life. Tenchi  
dreamed of life back on Earth, his two brides at his side and children running around in  
the front yard under the watchful eye of Azaka and Kamadake at the front gates. The  
two women in his dream held onto him tightly, afraid to let him go, and they were his  
real wives and not a creation of his subconscious. A gift of the link they formed was  
that they could coexist in the same dreamworld. For that moment they had some peace to  
enjoy, but for how long. Sasami sat alone in her room with Ryu-Ohki in her child form  
slumbering beside her. She looked at the body lenght mirror on the wall and saw her  
reflection there staring back at her. The figure there at was Tsunami smiled back at her  
but the little Princess did not feel like smiling.  
"What is wrong, Sasami?" Tsunami asked.  
"I'm worried, about Tenchi and the others." answerd Sasami.  
"Such a heavy burden for someone so small." Tsunami said with a smile.  
"I love them all, and this trip has been one big diaster after another." Sasami  
sighed.  
"Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko are destined to go to Jurai and battle a great evil. They  
will be fine." the goddess told her softly.  
"I'm just scared that's all, and sad." Sasami said.  
"Dn not be sad little one, our time is near." the goddess said and her reflection  
returned to normal. The young Princess stared at her own normal reflection for a few  
minutes and the goddess' words worked in her mind over and over again....out time is near.  
__________  
Chapter Five: Planet Caldera  
  
Tenchi and Aeka woke with a start when they heard the most horrible sound they  
have ever heard in their room. They noticed immediately that Ryoko was not in bed and  
the door to the bathroom was ajar. The sound came again and Tenchi quickly climbed out  
of bed and ran to the bathroom. Ryoko was kneeling on the floor wretching into the   
toilet. He kneeled down next to her and patted her back. Aeka padded up to the door and  
looked in with concern on her face. She reflected on this situation, the last time she  
saw Ryoko like this was when she drank too much sake.  
"Is this what they call Morning Sickness?" Ryoko asked as she gasped for air.  
"I won't know, but I did hear about it in biology class at school." Tenchi told  
her.  
"I remember our mother, when she was pregnant with Sasami, used to have terrible  
bouts of Morning Sickness." commented Aeka.  
"Are you alright?" asked Tenchi as he continued to rub Ryoko's back.  
"Ya, its starting to go away." she said. "Uh! Seven months of this."  
"It'll be worth it in the end." Tenchi said with a smile.  
After Ryoko freshened herself up and climbed back in bed. Tenchi hugged her close  
and kissed her forehead. She quickly fell back to sleep and he eased her down to onto  
the pillows. Aeka reached around him and massaged his chest softly sending pleasureful  
feelings through his body. He turned over and embraced her and kissed her passionately.  
They didn't make love but lay there in each other's arms holding each other and caressing  
each other's bodies gently until they fell into blissful slumber.  
  
Modern day intergalactic explorers search uncharted areas of space for new  
planets by scanning for the gravity wells they create and the ripples in spacetime  
that a gravity well causes. Those ripples can be minute, as with the gravity well of  
a planet, or severe as with the gravity well of a blackhole. The equipment neccessary  
for detecting this is a standard component installed into every ship in the Galactic  
Union. Its purpose is to help locate planets, and to help prevent collisions with  
massive bodies like large asteroids that have a gravitational field of their own. In  
this case the equipment on the Yagami was detecting a very large gravity well. The  
data entered the main computer and was analyzed quickly. Sensors went to work scanning  
the region of space where the gravitational field was detected. The long range scans  
displayed on Kiyone's console, showing her detailed information about what it was  
detecting.  
"Hmmm. Yagami is detecting a planet out there." Kiyone said.  
"Really? What type of planet?" Mihoshi asked.  
"Two actually, one is a K-Class gas giant and the other is an M-Class world."  
she said.  
"M-Class, that's just like Earth." Mihoshi said with a cheery tone. "Maybe they  
have a beach there, do you remember when we went to beach back on Earth?"  
"No, because I wasn't living on Earth at the time, Mihoshi, and no we don't have  
the time for another detour." Kiyone said sharply.  
"Ya, I guess your right." Mihoshi said with a sigh.  
A new stream of data started appearing on Kiyone's console and she nearly leaped  
out of her seat. "Uh ho! We got a priority one distress beacon signal." she said.  
"Coordinates match those of the M-Class planet." Mihoshi confirmed from her  
console. Kiyone looked at her funny, not sure how she knew how to do that.  
Kiyone pressed the innercom button on her console and said, "Tencbi, this is Kiyone  
on the bridge, could you come up here?"  
Back in their quarters Tenchi groggily reached up and touched the innercom button.  
"Is everything alright?" he asked in a sleep slurred voice.  
"I need your help in deciding something, could you come up here, please?" she  
said.  
"I'm coming, I'm coming." he said as he climbed out of bed.  
Ten minutes later Tenchi walked through the hatch on the bridge dressed in a   
two tone gree shirt and black slacks. "What's up, Kiyone?" he asked her with a serious  
look on his face.  
"Kiyone picked up a planet that's just like Earth, right?" Mihoshi said.  
"Oh, but what did you need me for?" he asked.  
"We are picking up a distress signal on that planet." Kiyone told him. "And  
according to GP regulations 49942-34A and Galaxtic Law 789-B6E no Galaxy Police vessel  
may ignore any distress signals unless that vessel is in a similar situation."  
"I guess we're going to that planet then, but why ask me?" he asked again.  
"Your the leader of this mission, its only right I check with you first." she  
said. Tenchi winced for moment and wondered how he suddenly got pegged as the leader  
of this mission. His memory went back to their discussion in Washu's lab almost a  
million years ago. Back then they looked to him for leadership, and he wondered why  
also. Aeka and Ryoko looked to him because he was their husband and they loved him,  
and Sasami loved him too so she naturally looked to him for guidance. However, his  
father and grandfather also looked to him for leadership and usually it was the other  
way around. It dawned on him that they did this because of who he was, heir to the  
throne of Jurai and summoner of the Light Hawk Wings.  
  
It look Kiyone only an hour to get the Yagami to the nearby planet. Everyone  
was on the bridge now to see the sight of the massive gas giant and the smaller blue  
and white marble world in the forward viewscreen. The light of the nearby yellow star  
cast a ghostly light over the entire scene.  
"Its look alot like Jupiter doesn't it, Tenchi?" Noboyuki asked as he looked at  
the gas giant.  
"Its actually very similar to your Jupiter in many respects, innert organic  
material, hydrogen gas, sulfuric acid, nitrogen ice crystals, and super sonic winds."  
Washu said. "The correct designation for these bodies are Brown Dwarfs, which are  
fledgling stars that have not collect enough mass to start nuclear reactions."  
Everyone looked at her and blinked incomprehensibly at her. She face faulted and  
then stood up with a sigh. "Why do I even bother?" she asked herself.  
"There are two large continents on the planet, massive life readings, but no  
sign of any advanced technology or civilization." Kiyone said.  
"The beacon is on the second continent in a southern jungle region." Mihoshi   
said. "The tempature is 95 degrees and the humidity is about 90%. Its muggy down  
there."  
"That signal, Kiyone, its using an outdated protocol." Washu commented.  
"How old?" the GP officer asked.  
"According to this the protocol is about two thousand years old." Washu explained.  
"Two thousand years old." Tenchi said in surprise.  
"How can a two thousadn year old distress beacon be running after all this  
time?" Kiyone asked.  
"It could be a smuggler ship, they use salvaged parts all the time and they  
could have an old beacon array." Ryoko said.  
"A two thousand year old array?" Kiyone asked.  
"I've seen ships with five and six thousand year old power relays and hyperdrive  
motivators." Ryoko replied.  
"Well, ancient or not we have to investigate it." Kiyone said.  
"What planet is this anyway?" Sasami saked.  
"Its not anywhere in Ryoko's memory or my database of the Dead Zone." Washu  
said.  
"This is an uncharted planet, oh that is just great." Kiyone said throwing up her  
hands.  
"What's wrong?" Noboyuki asked.  
"When we do this sort of thing for uncharted planets we need to fill out all sorts  
of paperwork. Possible intrusions on undeveloped sentient lifeforms and all that." she  
said.  
"My instruments show no indication of intelligent life anywhere on the planet, but  
I do detect the remnants of what might once have been a civilization." Washu said.  
"I'm plotting a course straight to the source of the beacon, Kiyone." Mihoshi  
said as her hands flew over the controls. Again, Kiyone was amazed at how she was able  
to do that.  
"Course locked in and set, here we go." Kiyone said as the Yagami's engine flared  
and the red ship made its move into orbit around the planet.  
  
Yagami tore through the atmosphere of the alien world leaving a glowing streak in  
the sky from its firy reentry. As it dropped, the ship slowed form mach 30 to mach 6 and  
leveled out to an altitude of eleven thousand feet. The sensors on the ship and Washu's  
instruments recorded volumes of data about the plaent, its environment, and a variety  
of other pieces of data. Everyone looked out the lower observation deck windows and   
watched as the clouds moved slowly by with a few gaps allowing them to see a view of  
the virgin forests beneath that have not see or heard the touch of another intelligent  
being in several millenia. Soon, the ship was over one of the three vast oceans on the  
planet and was quickly approaching the source of the beacon. Slowly Kiyone dropped  
Yagami below the cloud level and reduced the forward speed to 500 MPH. Before long  
they were circling over the site of the beacon signal. Kiyone brought the ship down  
in a large clearing four miles from the source of the signal and did a thurough  
bioscan of the surrounding landscape to determine what lifeforms were in the area. The  
last thing they wanted to run into were some native preditors.  
"There is only small mamalian life forms in the area, and a great deal of plant  
life." Kiyone said.  
"Even plants can be dangerous." Ryoko commented remembering a run in with a very  
carniverous plant once upon a time in her life.  
"Preditory vegetation is pretty rare in the galaxy, but you can't be too sure."  
Washu said.  
"We're four miles from the beacon, and its going to be a very rough walk." Kiyone  
said.  
Tenchi held up the Master Key. "Ryoko and I can clear a way through." he said.  
"Mihoshi, you stay here to protect Mr. Masaki and Prince Yosho." Kiyone said. She  
tried not to notice the derisive hrmph from Yosho because her commented assumed he needed  
protecting.  
"Oh, ok." the blonde policewoman said with a sigh.  
"At least one officer has to be present during a rescue mission, so I will go."  
Kiyone said.  
"I'll come also, just in case we encounter some preditors or hostiles." Aeka said.  
"Ok, we have an away team." Kiyone said. "Lets get some medical supplies from  
sick bay and head out."  
  
Tenchi, Aeka, Ryoko, and Kiyone climbed out of an access hatch in Yagami's nose  
section and walked into the forest. Tenchi ignited the Tenchiken and started to cut a  
clear path for the others behind him. With Tenchi clearing the way they were making  
good time and would reach the beacon in only a few hours. On the ship Washu was  
putting things into a backpack. Sasami walked into the kitchen and stood there  
watching her.  
"Where are you going, Little Washu?" she asked.  
"There are some ruins nearby and I am going to go check them out. Wanna come?"  
Washu asked.  
"I don't know, is it safe?" the little princess asked.  
"There aren't any big preditors anywhere on the sensors, and besides I am the  
greatest scientific genius in the universe." she replied and ignited an energy sword  
in her hand that was very much like Ryoko's. Sasami's eyes went wide.  
"But, brother Yosho might not let me go along." Sasami said suddenly, looking  
very sad.  
Washu leaned towards her and whispered, "What that old folgy doesn't know won't  
hurt him."  
"Sneak out, but I'd really get into trouble with Aeka." Sasami whispered back.  
"No you won't, and she won't need to know either." Washu replied, whispering.  
Sasami seemed to think this over for a moment, and then her face lit up. "Ok,  
but if I get into trouble I'll say it was your fault." she said.  
Washu just gave her a conspiratory smile and she finished backing her backpack.  
Sasami ran to her room, making sure not to disturb Yosho during his meditation, and  
changed out of her kimono and into her hiking boots, shorts, and a t-shirt.  
  
They left the Yagami from the same port that the others ueed, which made little  
or no noise to attract attention from Yosho, Noboyuki, and Mishohi was dead to the  
world as always. Washu ignited her sword and started hacking a path through the thick  
jungle in the general direction of the ruins she wanted to investigate. They were  
a shorter distance from the Yagami than the signal beacon signal was, and it took  
them only an hour and a half to reach the first building. i8t was overgrown with   
vines and partially toppled over but one could see it had a Romanesque style to it.  
Sasami was enthralled by the beauty of the many alien flowers that grew on the  
vines and trees in the ruins, while Washu was busy typing on her holocomputer and  
examining the buildings. For some odd reason they seemed very familar to her, and for  
the life of her she could not put a finger on it. She had to delve deep into her  
ancient mind and dig for baried memories. It was coming from somewhere deep in her  
memories of Ryoko's experiences while under the control of Kagato.  
The diminutive genius walked among the ruined buildings and stopped when she  
came a wall that had engraved writing on it. She set her translater to work on it  
and she walked around examining the flowers as she waited for the translator to  
finish working. A few minutes passed and the floating laptop signaled it was done  
working. Washu walked up and looked at the words on the screen and she was suddenly  
filled with horror. She looked around now at every shadow as if she had just landed  
in hostile territory.  
"Sasami." she called. The little princess did not answer.  
"Sasami!" she shouted this time, and there was no reply.  
Washu turned back to the computer screen, the words read "Welcome to Planet  
Caldera". Those words alone could never invoke horror in someone, but Washu's memories  
returned as she relived Ryoko's nightmare life under Kagato and her memories of this  
world before it was set to ruins. The horrible images she witness were too much for  
her bare, but Washu could not block them when she was in the crystal prison on the  
Soja, but now she forced the memories down back into the dark places they came from  
and tears fell from her eyes as she ran back to the place where Sasami had been last.  
  
When Washu got there she looked around and on the ground there were signs of  
a struggle, no footprints, or even a bent blade of grass. On the ground, laying on its  
side, was one of Sasami's hiking boots. Washu picked it up and she clutched it to  
herself and she started to cry. "What have I done?" she sobbed.  
  
The source of the beacon signal proved to be a rather big surprise for Tenchi  
and the others. The source was a ship, and a large one for that matter. Kiyone  
ran the registration number that was still visible on the hull and found it had been  
missing for 40 years. That was a far cry from 2000 years. They managed to force  
open an access hatch in the side of the ship and they climbed ito the dark interior  
of the vessel. Aeka jumped with a start when her flashlight beam reflected off the  
blank stare of a white skull sitting on the floor.  
"I'm alright." she told Tenchi who came to her to comfort her, but he knew  
batter since he felt her distress through their link.  
They followed a floorplan of the ship that Kiyone had in her PDA and made their  
way to the bridge. Since the ship had no power, Tenchi and Ryoko had to cut the  
double hatch doors to the bridge apart with their swords. What was waiting for them  
on the other side was a horrible sight. Aeka put a hand over her mouth and Tenchi   
grabbed her to him. Just inside the access hatch there were dozens of bodies litering  
the floor. They were skeletons now, but they still had their clothing and a few  
scraps of dried flesh on the skulls. Kiyone counted a total of fifty-five bodies, all  
piled up on one another at the hatch. The bridge itself was spacious and large.  
"What the hell happened here?" Kiyone asked as she examined a body. She  
noticed that the rib cages of some of the skeletons were crushed. "My god, they  
trampled over each other." she said in realization.  
"Why, what would they be running from?" Ryoko asked.  
"Something they found on this planet." Aeka said, her head resting on Tenchi's  
chest.  
"Or something that found them, more likely." Tenchi said.  
"This si giving me the creeps." Ryoko said.  
"Any way to tell what race they were?" Aeka asked, now composing herself.  
Kiyone checked her PDA and shock her head. "So many races share the same  
humanoid bone structure, even Tenchi has the same type, so its pretty hard to tell."  
she said. "The ships is registered as a Tellacian freighter."  
"What were they carrying?" Ryoko asked.  
"Doesn't say. I can't access the GP data-streams, too much interference from  
the Dead Zone." Kiyone replied.  
"Well, maybe we can tell from the databanks if we can restore power to this  
thing." Aeka said.  
Tenchi pushed the pile of skeletons out of the way and cleared a path for the  
women to walk in. To their surprise the bridge still had some power, and Kiyone  
called up the monifest while Aeka and Ryoko worked to try and bring up a log entry  
from the Captain's station. Tenchi was the third wheel when it came to these things  
since he did not know the language of these people and he did not know how to use the  
computer equipment. He did notice one thing as she strolled through the large bridge  
and that was the totally out of place piece of alien equipment at sat in the middle of  
the room. Unlike the rest of the ship that looked artificial and high tech, this  
deviced almost looked organic. Tenchi called Kiyone over and she checked it with  
her PDA.  
"Tnis is the source of the beacon signal." she said.  
"It almost looks like its alive." Tenchi said.  
"Depending on what kind of technology its made form it could be alive." Kiyone  
said. "Oh, god, I sound like Washu."  
Ryoko whistled. "Hey, we found the last log entry from the Captain." she said.  
They walked over to the console that Aeka and Ryoko had been working on and  
watched as a holographic image of a humanoid man appeared above the console.  
"Oh God! We lost twenty-seven crewmen in only a few minutes, and now we are  
trapped on the bridge. They're everywhere! Its a nightmare, they came out of nowhere  
and we didn't have a chance." shouted the man in the display. He had a nasty scare on  
his face and his eyes looked haunted. "I watched my crewmen die, I watched as they  
killed them, it was horrible, horrible! We're all that's left of the crew of the  
Sagamento, and we're going to die too! Hahahahahahaha!!!!" At that moment there  
was the sound of shattering glass and inhuman scream. The captain opened his mouth  
to scream but a long black object with a sharp appendage pierced him through the  
chest from off screen, he gurgle a scream of pain and blood came out of his mouth. His  
body was pulled off screen and the crewmen and women on the bridge could be seen  
clambering over each other in an attempt to escape what just killed their captain.  
The image hlanked out just as the captain's body was thrown back onscreen, but in  
two halves.  
Tenchi felt like wretching and it was Aeka who gave him some comfort this time,  
holding him tight and running her fingers through his hair to calm him. Ryoko turned  
and looked at a massive hole in the thick glass bubble at the front of the bridge.  
"This is really starting to creep me out now." she said.  
"Whatever did this could still be on this planet." Tenchi said.  
"I think it might be a good idea if we got back to Yagami." Kiyone said.  
"That sound like a good idea." Aeka commented.  
The four ran from the bridge and made their way through the dark corridors back  
to the hatch they opened in the side of the ship. Halfway through the ship Aeka   
felt something grip her legs and she was pulled off of her feet. She cried out and  
the something that had her by the legs started to drag her into a nearby airshaft.  
Tenchi lunged for her and grabbed her hands and Ryoko grabbed Tenchi from hehind and  
started to pull with all her might. Whatever it was in the airshaft that had her  
legs, Aeka realized, it was was stronger than Tenchi and Ryoko combined.  
"Let me go, Tenchi! Save yourself!" Aeka shouted, tears running down her eyes.  
"NO!" Tenchi screamed and he pulled harder, and Ryoko groaned as she struggled  
to pull.  
Kiyone dropped to the floor and start firing shots into the darkness behind  
Aeka and the same inhuman scream that they heard on the video shreeked at them  
from the airshaft. Kiyone guessed that she must have hit her target because whatever  
it was let Aeka go making Tenchi and Ryoko fall back as they pulled Aeka free. Tenchi  
wrapped his arms around his beloved wife and held her close as she cried. Ryoko  
yelled into the darkness and released an energy blast at the unseen thing that tried  
to steal Aeka away.  
"Lets get the hell out of here before it comes back or goes for help." Kiyone  
said.  
"You don't have to tell me twice." Tenchi said as he stood up with Aeka holding  
onto him.  
As they reached the hatch and walked back out into the light of sunlight of  
this alien world Ryoko stopped in her tracks and her face turned a pale white. She  
gasped and her hand flew to her mouth.  
"What is it?" Aeka asked, terrible fear going through her.  
"Its Washu, somethings happened to Sasami!" she cried.  
"Oh no." Aeka said and they all ran as fast as they could through the cleared  
trail that Tenchi had cut on there way to the site.  
  
They arrived at the Yagami and found Washu, Yosho, Noboyuki, and Mihoshi standing  
on the boarding ramp. Washu was crying uncontrollably and holding a small brown  
boot in her arms as if it was very precious. Yosho had his hands on her shoulders  
and he was trying to be as comforting as he could but it was not helping.  
"What happened, where is Sasami?" Aeka asked, tears running down her face.  
"We, we went out to look at some ruins near the ship." Washu said. "I turned my  
back for a second, just a second, and then..." She started to weep again, hugging  
Sasami's boot to her chest.  
"Little Wawhu, it wasn't your fault, we didn't know this place was dangerous."  
Tenchi said. He explained what they saw on the video in the ship and his father slowly  
started to inch his way up the ramp and back into ship.  
"You don't understand!" Washu shouted just then and it made Tenchi jump in   
surprise to see anger from Washu like this. "Its my fault, we snuck out of the ship  
without telling anyone."  
"We can forgive that, Little Washu, but what happened to Sasami?" Tenchi asked.  
"They took her!" she shouted.  
"Who?" Tenchi asked.  
"There was once a civilization on this world, it was developing into a very]  
intelligent race with a potential for greatness. My sister Tokimi thought she could  
improve upon them and she set to work chaning them. She succeeded, but what she made  
them into was a nightmare." she said.  
"One of them tried to grab Aeka, what are they?" Ryoko asked.  
"They have no emotions, they were breed to kill, and only to kill." Washu said,  
her voice muffled slight in Yosho's robes. "They fear nothing and no one, they show  
no mercy, they kill indiscriminately, and they are as methodical as machines with  
infinite patience. Once they find a target they will not stop until they kill it or  
they are killed. They are unholy abominations!"  
"Sasami is...." Kiyone said with a small sob.  
"I don't know. I didn't see any blood." Washu said.  
"Let not start asuming anything right now." Tenchi said. "Little Washu, take us  
to the last place you saw Sasami." She looked at him and nodded as she whipped the   
tears away.  
  
The ancient buildings reminded Tenchi of the ruin of ancient Rome. He looked  
at the place where Sasami had been, appearently looking at the beautiful flowers that  
grew on the vines. There was no sign of a struggle, no foot prints besides Sasami's  
own and Washu's, and no blood. Kiyone checked the area and found not a single  
trace of anything they could follow. Washu compsed herself and she called up her  
computer and started using her instruments to scan the area. After several minutes of  
this she threw up her hands.  
"There is nothing I can find to track her, nothing." Kiyone said.  
"We might have a chance with one thing." Washu said quickly as she started  
typing more franticly. "Our dear sweet little Princess is starting her first of  
three stages of Juraian puberty. When that happens her body starts to release hormones  
and other chemicals that can be detected."  
"I didn't know she was starting the Change." Aeka said.  
"I guess she is growing up faster than we though." Tenchi said.   
"I have a faint trace, heading west." Washu said.  
"Ok, Kiyone you stay here and help guard the others, Aeka and Ryoko will come  
with me and Washu." Tenchi said.  
"Your the boss, Tenchi." Kiyone said as she drew her blaster and checked its  
charge.  
  
Sasami did not know what had happened to her, all she could remember was standing  
up on her tip toes to smell one of the beautiful blossoms that grew on a vine in the  
ruins she and Washu were investigating. Now, she was in this dark place that was  
cold and damp. She looked around and could see little past a faint red glow that came  
from someone along the floor of where she was. She crawled on her hands and knees and  
made her way to where the light was and gasped with she found herself looking into a  
deep chasm with red hot lava at the bottom. She backed away very quickly and suddenly  
felt her rump butt up against something. She looked behind her and made out a strange  
outline in the gloom. She moved away from it quickly but was not fast enough, the  
form reached out with slender arms and grabbed her by the waist. Sasami struggled  
but the grasp of whatever held her was like a vice grip. She tried to claw at the  
hands that held her, but she finders traced a form that filled her with dread. The  
hands that held her were not humanoid but where hard and felt like sharp claws. She  
screamed and beat her fists against what held her and a pair of cold red eyes stared  
at her.  
"Who are you?" she asked the form.  
The dark figure did not answer her. It stood up on what she could make out  
as six insect like legs and started carrying here through the darkness.  
"Let me go!" she cried beating her fists against the creature's grip again.  
She noticed that the light around he suddenly changed and she looked up and  
what she saw made her want to scream but she was too frightened to speak. She in  
a large chamber, the walls were covered with what looked like honeycombs that Earth  
bees made. Crawling around along the walls where thousands of creatures exactly  
like the one that carried her. They appeared to be insectoid creatures like ants  
and had six long legs, their upper bodies rose up to a pair of long slender arms  
with large claws at the ends and a hideous head with two large multisegmented eyes  
two long antenna, and a pair of sharp manible. It was not this sight that frightened  
her the most, for she had met many insectoid alien races in her travels with her  
system in Ryouhl, but it was what sat in the middle of the chamber that frightened  
her. A massive, bulbous form sat in the middle of the chamber. It pulsated from  
within and its surface was slick with slime which oozed from its surface. The mass  
tappered off at one end and this end was moving around depositing what looked like  
eggs at an alarming rate. Smaller versions of the creatures on the walls took the  
newly formed eggs and carried them off somewhere in the chamber. The opposite end  
of the mass was a massive monstrosity, it was an insectoid lifeform of hideous  
perportions. The body was similar that that of the others, it was slightly larger,  
but the head on the upper body was larger and the mandibles were much larger.  
The creature that carried her dropped Sasami to the floor of the chamber before  
this larger monstrosity. It backed away and Sassmi looked up at it and trembled. The  
creature peered down at her and lowered its massive head down to her level. Sasami  
tried to back away but the creature extended an arm and stopped her. Surprisingly,  
the little princess discovered, dispite the creatures size it was trying to be very  
gentle.  
Sasami concentrated for a moment, allowing the power of Tsunamoi to fill her  
and she looked upon this monster and she could feel its nature. She felt curiosity,  
fear, and concern coming from the creature. This was totally unexpected because she  
was sure the thing intended to kill her, but she felt no evil from the creature.  
"Who are you, why am I here?" Sasami asked the creature, hoping her universal  
translator earring Washu made her would allow her to communicate with this creature.  
The creature made a chirping sound that was something similar to Earth crickets  
and grasshoppers. Sasami heard her universal translator beep, telling her it was  
working on decypering the language. A series of more beeps were issued before a  
coherent sentance issued from the device.  
"We are the Nox" a female voice said.  
"My name is Sasami, what do you want with me, where am I?" Sasami asked.  
"We are they whom she sent to lead the way." the creature said.  
Sasami did not understand this part at all. "Who sent you?" she asked.  
"You." the creature said.  
Sasami's head swam with that one, but then she realized something. Sasami  
concentrated again on the power growing within her due to her burganing womanhood  
and her closeness to her assimilation with the goddess.  
"You mean Tsunami don't you?" Sasami asked.  
The creature nodded its head. "We were sent to lead the way." it said.  
"Lead the way to where?" Sasami asked.  
The creature extended an arm towards the wall and to a large honeycomb chamber  
there. A large number of the creatures gathered around it each carrying a blob of a  
strange translucent substance. The creatures deposited the substance into the   
honeycomb chamber and then turned towards them as if waiting.  
"The way is clear, we will lead the way." said the creature.  
"I have to go in there?" Sasami asked.  
"The way is clear." said the creature.  
Sasami walked towards the chamber and looked inside, inside the floor was  
filled with the translucent substance like a large pool. She looked back at the  
giant creature and then at the smaller others that flanked the honeycomb chamber.  
The creatures appeared to be kneeling before her.  
"We have lead the way." the creature said.  
Sasami looked back at the chamber, and said, "I think I understand." She  
stepped into the chamber and climbed down into the sustance that filled it. Sasami  
was suddenly filled with a powerful sensation filled her being, she was not sure but  
it was almsot like an orgasm but she did not know what that felt like since she  
was a virgin. The substance around her body began to soak slowly into her skin and  
a blue glow started to eminate from her. The creatures outside the chamber worked to  
seal it up with wax until the opening was just a small hole to allow air to enter.  
"The way is to follow." the creature said. "The way is clear."  
  
Washu scanned around and hrmphed in aggrevation. She slapped the scanner she  
had in her hands and then shook it violently. Tenchi put a hand on her wrist to stop  
her and the diminutive genius let her human emotions get the better of her once again  
as she cried.  
"I lost the trail, it ends right here." she said, after composing herself.  
Right here was a large field filled with boulders. On one of the large boulders  
Tenchi noticed a large splotch of what looked like blood. He hoped beyound hope that  
it was not what he though it was. Washu scanned it and sighed with relief.  
"Its not Juraian, or any other species I have ever seen." she said.  
"Thank Tsunami." Aeka said.  
"But where is she?" Ryoko asked.  
"Her hormone trail ends here." Washu said.  
Tenchi looked around and he scratched the back of his head. "We are getting  
nowhere like this." he said. He pulled out the Master Key and concentrated on it. The  
sword began to glow and to Ryoko's surprise so did her gems she was wearing. In the  
area that they stood in a ghostly apparition appeared. The thing was virtually  
invisible except for a shimmering outline round its body that appeared when it moved.  
Flung over one should of the creature was Sasami's limp form. Aeka gasped in horror  
and a hand flew to her mouth. Washu put her hands to her face and she cried, her  
worse fears had been realized.  
Suddenly, a new figure appeared on the scene. It was a large insectoid creature  
that to Tenchi looked almsot like a Praying Mantis. The insectoid leaped out of  
hiding from behind a boulder and tackled the partially invisible creature that  
carried Sasami. The invisible monster unleashed a blast of energy at the insectoid  
creature and vaporized it. A second insectoid creature appeared and lunged at the  
monster from behind. This time the creature did not anticipate the attack from   
behind and it was forced to the ground. Sasami rolled away from the invisible  
monster and another insectoid creature appeared and very delicately lift Sasami up  
wtih its forelimbs and vanished from sight. The invisible creature went back to  
its feet quickly, but another insectoid appeared and it unleached an energy blast  
at the invisible monster. After several exchanges the invisible monster was hurled  
against a large boulder and a large splatter of blood splashed out around where it  
hit. Tenchi let the images fade away and the glow from the Master Key and Ryoko's  
gems subsided.  
"That was, incredible." Ryoko said.  
"That was frightening, where did those things take Sasami?" Aeka asked.  
"I might be able to determine that out in a few secs." Washu said as she started  
typing on her computer. "Tenchi, how did you know to do that with Tenchiken?"  
Tenchi looked at her and at his wives. They ave him a mental eqivolent of a  
shrugged. "I have no idea. It just seemed natural to do it." he said.  
"Interesting." the scientist said, and Tenchi sighed happy to see that the old  
Washu was finally back.  
"That insect thing looked like it was trying to be gentle with Sasami." Aeka  
said.  
"It did seem that way." Ryoko added.  
"Anything yet?" Tenchi asked Washu.  
Washu typed rapidly at her holocomp and then she cackled the way she used to  
whenever she had Tenchi to herself in the lab. The sound set hairs on the back of  
Tenchi's head on end from the memory when the timw when Washu tried to get her   
sample.  
"It took her to the South about three miles." she finally said.  
"Lets go." Tenchi said and they all followed behind him.  
  
Sasami opened her eyes and she found herself floating on the surface of the  
substance in the honeycomb chamber. She did not know how long she blacked out but  
she did remember that the feeling she was having was too overwhelming for the small  
body to handle. She shift position and lowered her legs down and touched the bottom  
of the pool. Slowly she made her way to the side and reached up to pull herself out.  
It was at that moment that the young princess stopped and realized something very  
important, first she was touching the bottom of the pool and when she first go into  
it she could not, and second all of her clothes were missing. She looked down at  
herself as shocked at what she saw. On her chest were two small, perky, but fully  
formed breasts. She touched her head and found that her hair was now much longer  
also, and the pins and clasps she used to hold her hair in its twin ponytail style  
popular among young girls on Jurai were gone. Sasami did not feel any different  
than she did before, but she knew she was different physically.  
"Tsunami?" she called out.  
"I am here." came the goddesses soft voice. Sasami noticed that her voice   
had changed also and was becoming very close to that of Tsunami's tone.  
"Are we, are we joined?" she asked.  
"Not yet, but situations have become worse and I had to acceleraate things a  
little bit." Tsunami said.  
"That is why I am older?" Sasami asked.  
"In a way yes, but you are older not because of our pending merger." the goddess  
told her.  
"What for then? Why the change now?" asked Sasami.  
"That would be telling, little one." Tsunami giggled.  
"I'm not so little anymore." Sasmai said as she cupped her hands over her new  
badges of womanhood.  
"There is a reason for all of this, and in time you will soon see why." and with  
that Sasami felt Tsunami's presence fad back into the background of her mind where the  
goddess usually stayed.  
The little princess climbed out of the pool and looked down at the rest of  
herself. She looked at the curves of her hips, and the shape of her legs.  
"Wow, I'm, I'm what Tenchi's dad would call a babe." she said.  
Sasami found her clothes laying just inside the chamber and discovered very  
quickly that they were not a few sizes to small. She losened several ribbons and  
straps and managed to put a part of her robes as a skirt and a top that covered  
her womanhood just enough. The insectoids tore away the wall to the chamber that  
they created and she walked out and met the gaze of the giant queen insectoid.  
"Now you know the way." the creature said.  
"Yes, I know the way." Sasami replied, not realizing that she no longer wore  
her universal translator.  
"Now you must go for they will come and our time has come." the creature said.  
"Who will come?" Sasami asked.  
"Tokimi's Children." the creature said. Sasami gasped when she heard the name,  
she had head Tsunami speak of her sister before and she know that Washu was also  
her sister.  
"When will they come?" she asked.  
"Soon, they feel you, you know you, you seek to take you." the creature said.  
"What do they want with me?" Sasami asked.  
"To spread their seed." the creature replied. Sasami's eyes went wide when she  
suddenly put two and two together and understood the insect's meaning. The speak of  
this creature was worse than some the puzzling things that Yosho sometimes quotes.  
"I need to get back to my family." Sasami said to the giant creature.  
It gestured behind her and Sasami turned around as one of the creatures walked  
up to her and kneeled down low enough that she could climb onto its back.  
"Go, our purpose is done, we will guard the way." the giant queen said.  
Sasami was about to climb onto the insectoid's back but then she stopped and  
looked back at the giant queen. "Your going to sacrific yourselves so I can get away,  
aren't you?" she asked with concern in her voice.  
"It is our purpose." the queen said.  
"But..." Sasami stammered.  
"You must live, all depends on this." the queen said.  
Sasami finished climbinb on to the back of the insectoid and it started trotting  
off into a tunnel. She looked back at the giant queen with tears in her pink eyes.  
"We have served, we have fulfilled, we are happy." the queen said before  
Sasami was too far away to hear her words.  
  
Tenchi and the others raced as fast as they could along the trail tha tlead  
back to where the Yagami landed. It was several minutes since Kiyone called them on  
the comlink that they were being attacked. When the signal was suddenly lost all  
Tenchi could think about was the video they saw onboard the star freighter. With  
their quest to find Sasami on hold they ran to the aid of their family back on the  
ship. Before long they entered the clearing where the Yagami rested and found  
Yosho kneeling next to Kiyone who was laying prone on the ground. Mihoshi was  
laying near one of Yagami's landing strusts and Noboyuki was wrapping her head with  
gause.  
"What the hell happened?" Tenchi asked.  
"A group of strange creatures attacked the ship." Yosho said. "They were  
barely visible as if surrounded by a cloaking field."  
"They looked like those Preditor things from the movies." Noboyuki added.  
"Where did they go?" Ryoko asked.  
"I am not certain, we were fighting them when suddenly they seemed to become  
distracted by something and then they disappeared." Yosho said.  
"I don't like this, its not like them to do this." Washu said.  
"They obviously found something more interesting to mess with." Ryoko said.  
Washu stalked up to them and put her hands on her hips. "Dammit, they don't do  
shit like this! They don't just stop attacking someone and then leave! Haven't I  
made myself perfectly fucking clear enough!" she cried.  
Tenchi put a hand on Washu's shoulder and the touch calmed her down. She sighed  
and put her head down. Washu was not used to these emotional outbursts, but since she  
had the affair with Orrin several weeks before she noticed a change had come over her.  
"I'm sorry, I'm just upset." she said.  
"I'm worried about Sasami too, but we will find her." Tenchi said and he drew  
her into a hug.  
Kiyone was up and she went into the ship, not long after she came running back  
into the group. She was huffing and puffing from running all the way.  
"They took it!" she shouted.  
"Took what?" Tenchi asked, a small feeling of dread creeping over him, but waas  
washed over by a feeling of comfort from his two wives via their link.  
"The main power coupling for the engines, we're grounded until we get it back!"  
Kiyone exclaimed almost in a panic.  
"What!" everyone shouted at once.  
Tenchi slumped to the ground and ran a hand down his face. Aeka and Ryoko were  
at his side immediately holding onto him. "Dammit! If its not one thing its another  
on this trip. Sometimes I think maybe we shouldn't have gone on this trip." he said.  
"It was all of us who decided to go on this trip, Tenchi." Washu said.  
"Now, we're stuck on some distant planet with no way to get off." Tenchi said.  
"Tenchi dear, we can get you off." Ryoko purred seductively.  
Tenchi smiled and he put his arms around his two loving wives. "Was that meant  
to make me feel better?" he asked.  
"It worked didn't it? Besides, we're not down yet." Ryoko replied.  
"We have to find Sasami, and if we find Sasami we might find the part." Aeka  
said.  
"Oh my God!" Mihoshi yelled and everyone turned to look where the she was  
pointing. A large insectoid creature crashed through the brush and entered the  
clearing where the Yagami was resting. Tenchi ignited the Master Key, but then  
disenguaged the blade when he saw a figure sitting on the monster's back. He looked  
up at the figure for a few seconds and it took him some time to realize who it was  
he was looking at.  
"Tsunami?" he said. The figure was a young woman of 14 ro 15 years of age,  
with long blue hair, and large pink eyes. She was barely wearing anything, and her  
clothes looked like they were several sizes too small. She climbed off the back of the  
insectroid crature and ran up to them. Her features were those of Tsunami, but still  
very young.  
"Sasami?" Aeka said, too stunned by say anymore.  
"Its me sis." the older Sasami said.  
"Oh, but this is so soon, your still so young." Aeka said, tears running down  
her face.  
"Tsunami and I have not joined yet." Sasami told them. "She did this because  
I have something I have to do before we do finally join, and I can't do it as a child."  
Aeka couldn't contain herself anymore and she rushed forward and hugged her   
sister tight.  
"Aeka, its alright, so I'm not a little girl anymore." Sasami said.  
"But, your childhood, The Change, you are missing out on all of that." Aeka  
sobbed.  
"I may be missing out on those things, but I have a bigger adventure in store  
for me when Tsunami and I merge." the little princess said, who was no longer so  
little.  
Ryoko and the others stepped forward to meet the new Sasami. Her eyes met  
with Tenchi's for a moment and a silent exchanged took place. The young princess  
could not help wonder what could have been if Tenchi had not mode The Great Bond  
with her sister and Ryoko. She also noticed that Noboyuki's eyes looked like they  
were about to fly out of their sockets.  
"You might want to wear this, or my adopted son's eyes might pop all the way  
out of his head." Yosho said, giving Noboyuki a stern look.  
"Thank you, brother." she said sweetly. The softness of her voice sent a  
shiver down Tenchi's spine. Aeka and Ryoko felt this through their bond.  
"I'm glad Aeka and I got to Tenchi before this happened." Ryoko said.  
"What do you mean?" Sasami asked.  
Ryoko waved a hand in front of Tenchi's face, and he did not respond at all.  
"Huh? Oh, Sasami we're so glad to see you safe." Tenchi said suddenly as he  
came out of revere.  
[Just you remember that you belong to us.] Ryoko warned.  
[I have to admit that she is very very beautiful, but I'd never do anything  
to hurt what we three have together. I sware.] Tenchi told them.  
[We know you'd never do anything like that.] Aeka said.  
[The same way we'd never could do that either.] Ryoko said, and she sent Tenchi  
a mental eqivolent of a kiss.  
"What happened to you, where did you go?" Washu asked, in an almost demanding  
voice.  
"I doh't know what happened." Sasami said. "One minute I'm smelling flowers  
and the next I'm in this giant insect hive."  
"What's with the giant roaches anyway?" Ryoko asked, looking at the giant insect  
as it stood behind Sasami as if waiting for orders.  
"They worship Tsunami, and they saved me from some kind of evil." she said.  
"Let me guess, big invisible guys with really bad attitudes." Kiyone said.  
Yosho cleared his throat. "Everyone, we have a part missing from the ship we need  
to get of this planet. How do you propose we get it back?"  
"Sasami, can you ask your insect friends to help us find the lair these creatures so  
we can get out part back?" Washu asked her.  
Sasami turned around to the towering insect creature and spoke with it briefly through  
telepathy. The creature gave off a few soft curping noises in response.  
"They will, but they do not want me to go anywhere near them." she said.  
"Why are they after you anyway?" Ryoko asked.  
"Their queen thinks they want to mate with me because they feel Tsunami's power inside  
me." Sasami said with a reddened face.  
"Of course, they are Tokimi's creations and she would have given them the power to sence  
Tsunami's power." Washu said as she summon her holocomputer and started typing furiously.  
"So not only do we have to get our part back but we need to keep them from getting to  
Sasami too." Tenchi said running his hand down his face.  
"What the hell are we waiting for, lets get that part and get off this rock!" Ryoko shouted.  
  
It took only two hours to walk to where the lair of Tokimi's monsters was located. Tey lived  
in a massive building that Washu described as once being the capital building of the people who once  
inhabited the planet. The jungle had grown up around the structure think and heavy, obscuring any  
ancient writing that might be on the sides of the building. The entrance seemed unguarded, but Washu  
took no chances and she thuroughly scanned the area with her instruments before allowing anyone to get  
anywhere near it. Kiyone, Mihoshi, Noboyuki, and Yosho stayed with the Yagami to protect Sasami. A  
small army of insectoids arrive to patrol the jungle outside the ship as well. As they walked, Tenchi  
noticed that they were being followed by the insect creatures, a formidable force of at leave seven  
dozen of them. When they reached lair their insectoid guide motioned with its claws for them to  
hunker low to ground and crawl.  
Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, and Washu watched the entrance to the lair on their stomachs underneath the  
protection of thick brush. Tenchi took a sharp intake of breath when a creature emerged from the  
entrance. It was cloaked in its invisible field as before and was barely visible except when it moved,  
but it dropped its cloaking field and looked around. The monster was humanoid, it stood some seven feet  
tall and had dark brown skin. Its had a long face that ended in a large fang filled mouth and its two  
red eyes were cruel and calculating. On the ends of its long muscular arms were clawed hands with  
sharp finger claws that were nearly three inches long. On its waist and feet the creatures wore skins  
of animals as clothing.  
"Those things are butt ugly." Washu commented.  
The creature turned around and headed back into the lair, when it turned they saw the creature's  
tail. It was long and black with a sharp barb at the end of it. It looked exactly like the weapon used  
to kill the captain of the ship they explored with Kiyone earlier.  
"How are we going to get in there?" Aeka asked, fear in her voice as she gripped Tenchi's arm.  
"I think my instruments detected a back entrance that is not as well protected." Washu said as she  
checked her computer.  
"Lets find it and get this over with." Ryoko said and they crawled out of their hiding place and  
headed for the location on Washu's holocomputer.  
  
Elsewhere in space, the Jurai battleship Lunari emerged from its spacial portal and accelerated  
to made orbit of the planet Kalaban. A distrress signal had been coming from the planet and the ship  
was dispatched to investigate the nature of the emergency. Kalaban was a remove colony of Jurai and  
thus the journey to the planet took several days even for a Jurai treeship. Emperor Asuza was beginning  
to get very worried, there were no reports of the whereabouts of the Yagami or any of its crew either,  
and he could not help but notice that something sinister was starting to happen to this empire.  
Captain Traz stood up from his command post and looked at the image of Kalaban that Lunari  
projected for his viewing. The planet that was once lush with life abundant was now a lifeless  
rock in space. The yellow brown surface was very different from the green lush images they had in  
the databanks.  
"In the name of Tsunami, what happened here?" he asked.  
"We are getting no lifesigns from the planet, only the distress signal." spoke Commander Turlo  
who was at the science station.  
"What did this, orbital bombardment?" the captain asked.  
"No evidence of weapons fire, its as if all the lifeforce of the planet was just drained away."  
Commander Turlo replied.  
Lunari suddenly release a bright burst of light from her leaves and this made Captain Traz's  
hair stand up on end. Klaxons on the ship came on and the crew scrambled to their emergency stations.  
"Lunari has detected two unknown ships bering 4.2 mark 8!" Commander Turlo shouted.  
"Lets see them, Lunari." Captain Traz ordered.  
The two ships appeared on the holographic screen replacing the view of the dead planet. The two  
ships were nearly the size of Lunari, their hulls were black, and their design looked like something  
from the nightmare of a maniac.  
"We've been detected, they are raising shields and arming weapons!" Commander Turlo warned.  
"Lunari raise your Lighthawk Wings, I think we found the one's responsible for destroying this  
planet." Traz said.  
The two dark ships raced on an intercept course with Lunari. The Juraian battleship opened up  
on them with its forward cannons but the captain and crew watched in horror as those shots had little  
or no effect at all. The dark ships returned fire with one single energy beam. Their aim was true and  
the Lunari was struck. Captain Traz watched the status console showing the condition of Lunari's light  
hawk wings and he gasped as he saw their energy levels beginning to fall rapidly. Who or whatever this  
enemy was they were so powerful that they were able to weaken the power of Light Hawk Wings.  
"Evasive manouvers!" he ordered. The great ship lurched as the helmsman's hands flew over his  
console. Lunari flared out light in a warning just before a second blast hit the ship.  
Lunari's Light Hawk Wings were withering and beginning to loose power quickly. The great ship  
continued to fire back at tis attackers, but the blasts did little or no damage what so ever. Finally,  
Captain Traz and Commander Turlo watched in horror as Lunari's Light Hawk Wings disintegrated completely  
under the force of another shot. The great ship was rocked by a more powerful blast that tore into the  
hull, through the superstructure of its interor, and out the other side. Lunari let out one last feable  
splash of light before as a second beam struck the ship and vaporized the Space Tree. The last few  
seconds of Traz's and Turlo's life went by as if hours passed. They watched as their ship was consumed by  
fire and more weapons fire. The last thing they saw before they died was a wall of white hot plasma  
racing towards them when the main reactor on the ship exploded.  
  
Sasami sat with Katsuhito and Noboyuki in the living room of their crew quarters on the Yagami. The  
old Juraian prince was looking at her with a strange expression on her face and Noboyuki was trying hard  
not to stare at Sasami's newly altered form out of respect and out of the fact that Yosho would bash him  
over the back of the head for thinking about his little sister that way.  
"Why did Tsunami think it was necessary to take this step so soon?" Yosho asked.  
"I don't know, but its important, very important." Sasami said.  
"Does this mean that you and Tsunami are, you know, one now?" Noboyuki asked. He did not fully  
understand the situation between Sasami and Tsunami, but he did know enough that the two were to one  
day become one person.  
"Not yet, but it will be soon now." Sasami said with a slightly nervous voice.  
Yosho pursed his lips and put his hand under his chin for moment. It was at that moment that  
Sasami grabbed her head and started crying out.  
"No, Lunari, no!" she cried.  
"Sasami, what's wrong, what's wrong?" Noboyuki and Yosho shouted at once as they both moved quickly  
to catch her before she fell. Yosho had a strong suspicion that the knew why Sasami suddenly acted this  
wasy. He grabbed Sasami into his arms and held her tight.  
"Lunari is gone, she's gone." Sasami cried on Yosho's shoulder.  
"W-w-who is Lunari?" Noboyuki asked.  
"A Ship of Jurai, a space tree same as Fonaho and Ryuohl. She must have been destroyed and Sasami is  
feeling the effects from Tsunami." Yosho said solemly.  
"Destroyed, by who...." Noboyuki started to say but then he stopped after realizing who it was that  
might have the power to take on a ship of Jurai.  
"The poor thing." was all he could say afterwards. As he watched Sasami cry in Yosho's arms his   
thoughts went back to his son and his two wives who were out trying to save their lives. He never imagine  
once since Tenchi's birth that his son would be trying to save the universe.  
  
Finding the back entrance to the creature's lair was not that difficult with Washu's instruments  
leading the way. Getting through the ancient structure without being caught was another matter altogether.  
Since the creatures posssessed the power to feel Jurai powers Washu had to construct a dampening field  
around them, and then she put a portable stealth device on everyone which refracted the surrounding light  
making them invisible to everyone except each other. The only sign that showed that they were invisible  
was a faint blue aura that surrounded each other. Aeka did her very best not to cry out when she  
passed just feet from some of the hideous creations of Lady Tokimi.  
Finding the missing power coupling for the Yagami was another easy feat for Washu's science, but as  
they entered the chamber where it was located she stopped and froze.  
"It can't be this easy." she whispered.  
"There's the part, lets get it and get out of here." Tenchi whispered back.  
"No, this is too easy." Washu said again, and as she turned around Tenchi saw her eyes grow to the  
size of frying pans.  
They all whirled around and found nearly six dozen of the monsters behind them, each one surrounded  
in that light blue aura. They slowly began to advance on them.  
"Uh, Washu, can they see us?" Aeka asked.  
"I'd say that was a good possibility." she said.  
"What do we do?" Ryoko asked.  
"Running would be a good idea." Tenchi said and they all broke into a run for the power coupling.  
Tenchi grabbed up the part, which was as long as a broom handle, but nearly ten times as heavy. Ryoko  
helped him pick it up and they both ran with it for the second entrance to the chamber. The creatures  
behind them screamed and snarled in rage and started through energy blasts in their direction. Explosions  
splashed off the walls of the chamber just as they passed through the entrance and into a long hallway. They  
ran as fast as they could a hundreds of the monsters began to emerge from all over the place in the hallway.  
"We are not going to make it!" Aeka screamed as she watched several hundred of the creatures at the  
other end of the long hallway.  
"Oh ye of little faith." Washu said as she summoned her holographic computer. A large black portal  
suddenly appeared next to her.  
"Lets go!" she shouted as she jumped into the portal. Tenchi shrugged his shoulders as he looked at  
Aeka and Ryoko. His two wives looked at the portal suspiciously since they have all had bad experiences with  
dimensional portals lately, but they followed Tenchi as he jumped through it with Yagami's part. On the  
other end of the portal Washu was waiting outside of the Yagami. Kiyone and Mihoshi were on the ramp  
waiting for them.  
"Give me that." Washu said as she took the power coupling and hefted it as if it did not seem very  
heavy to her at all. Tenchi marveled at just how strong the girls were, but then remembered that they were  
not human. "I'll install this, the rest of you keep an eye out for those things." she shouted back as she  
ran up the ramp.  
In the distance Tenchi could here the sounds of the creatures howling the screaming in rage.  
"They sound pissed off." Tenchi said.  
"Bring them on, I'm tired of running." Ryoko said.  
"As am I also." Aeka said.  
Washu fit the part into place in the engineering section of the ship and signaled Ryoko over their  
link. In the distance, but closer to the ship, they could see trees falling over as the creatures literaly  
tore a path through the jungle to reach them.  
"Mom has the part installed, we can get off this God forsaken rock." Ryoko said.  
As they turned to go up the ramp a horde of creatures bursted from the jumgle and hurled dozens of   
energy blasts at the ship. Ryoko defected most of the blasts headed their way with her shield.  
"Shit! These things are beyond pissed!" she shouted.  
Just as it seamed like they were about to be overrun by the monsters another horde of creatures  
errupted from the jungle. They were the insectoid creatures that saved Sasami. The two armies clashed  
just short of the Yagami, and the ground thundered with the sound of explosions and screams of agony. Monster  
and insect bodies began to liter the ground and blood sprayed in the air so thick it was almost as if it  
were raining crimson.  
"My God!" Tenchi shouted.  
"Lets go, Tenchi, come on!" Ryoko shouted at him as she dragged him into the ship with Aeka.  
  
When Yagami's ramp closed Kiyone took no time to get the engine powered up, and they were soon airborn  
within seconds. Sasami watched from a holographic display in the living area as Tokimi's creations and her  
insectoid friends battled on the ground. As the Yagami rose into the clouds she heard a final telepathic  
message come to her from the planet. It was the voice of the queen.  
"We sacrifice, our part is fulfilled. The path is truely clear."  
With that Sasami was doublely struck with sobs for she knew that the creatures below were sacrificing  
themselves for her sake.  
  
Tenchi, Aeka, Ryoko, and Washu gathered on the bridge to watch the planet speed away behind them. Kiyone  
finished keying in a new set of coordinates into the navigational computers and engaged the hyperdrive.  
"There, in a few hours we should be out of this hell hold and back to normal space." she said.  
"Thank Tsunami." Aeka said with a sigh.  
"How long til we reach Jurai from there?" Tenchi asked.  
"Its only a four day journey at full speed and assuming nothing stops us along the way." Kiyone  
said.  
"I wonder what has been going on in all the time we've been in the Dead Zone." Ryoko asked.  
Washu was working on her computer and she looked up at her daughter with a loook of amusement, but  
also a small himt of worry.  
"Well, all the spacial and dimenstional distrubances were faced have had an effect on time. We were  
in the Dead Zone for about six months, if my calculations were correct." she said.  
"What?!" everyone shouted and face faultered simultaneously.  
"Six months, that's half a year!" Tenchi shouted.  
"Anything could have happened in that amount of time." Kiyone said.  
"What about our people on Jurai?" Aeka asked.  
"Right, we could be walking into something pretty nasty on Jurai." Ryoko said.  
Washu did a Spock Manouver and typed something into her computer. She smiled and almost laughed.  
"What's so funny, mom?" Ryoko asked.  
"You three." she said. "I've been nothing some very distint personality changes with the three of  
you since you bonded."  
"What do you mean, Little Washu?" Tenchi asked.  
"Well, I spoke a little about this before, but it appears that some of my Little Ryoko's fearlessnes  
has become a part of you, and Aeka has started to take on some of Ryoko's personality also." Washu said.  
"I don't get what you mean." Aeka said.  
"You haven't noticed how much more open you are about your feelings for Tenchi, besides the point  
that your married to him, but that your not shy about it anymore." Washu said to her.  
"I seem to remember that you clamped onto me the way Ryoko used to when we were on that alternate  
Earth." Tenchi said.  
"Tenchi seemed rather eager to get into battle that time also." Washu pointed out.  
"So, we're taking on each other's personalities?" Tenchi asked.  
"Since your link of more than just strictly telepathic its not surprising that parts of your  
personalities are starting to meld with each other." Washu explained. "Besides, it also appears that some  
of Tenchi's self control is becoming a part of Ryoko, so its all a change for the batter."  
Tenchi put his arms around his two wives and drew them into a tight embrace. "I guess were truely a  
part of each other now, and I wouldn't want it any other way."  
"Oh, Tenchi." the two girls gushed and covered his face with kisses.  
Washu looked up from her computer with a wicked smiloe. "Hey you three, get a room!" she shouted.  
__________  
End of Chapter Five...to be continued  
  
Next time...  
Chapter Six: Return to Darkness...  
Tenchi and the gang emerge from the Dead Zone on their journey to Jurai and  
find themselves in a Darkling ambush. They struggle to escape the wrath of the  
deadly creatures, but could the arrive of Ryoko arch rival help turn the hide.  
Chapter Seven: Chaos Jurai...  
Emperor Asuza, Misaki, and Fonaho face a growing threat of civil war on planet  
Jurai and an unknown force works behind the scenes to try and tear the empire apart.  
  
If you enjoyed this fan fic series let me know at zorch@the-zorch.com.  
Remember to check out GenSao's Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction Archives for this  
and more great fan fics at http://www.tmffa.com and remember to visit my  
fan site "The-Zorch World of Tenchi Muyo" at http:\\worldotenchi.the-zorch.com. 


	4. The Dark Lord of Jurai - Episode 2: Chap...

DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and character names from Tenchi  
Muyo, TMil, and Shin Tenchi are property of Pioneer and AIC. This  
work of fiction is written for fan appreciation only. Please do  
not sue me.   
__________  
NOTES: This work of fan fiction is based in the OAV continuity of  
Tenchi Muyo and borrows some elements from Tenchi Universe such as Nagi,  
the Yagami, and also borrows from Shin Tenchi Muyo to introducing Yugi,  
Sakuya, and Ryu-Ohki's mech form into the story. I have also introduced   
some new characters and creations into the mix. I hope you enjoy the   
series as much as I enjoyed working on it.  
__________  
THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA  
  
Episode Two: No Need for A Space Journey  
  
Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney  
__________  
Previously...  
  
Tenchi and the gang braved the forces of another interdimensional   
accident and survived an encounter with creatures created by Washu and Tsunami's   
evil sister Lady Tokimi. The journey through the region of space called the   
Dead Zone has taken them six months. What has happened in that time, and what   
will Tenchi and the gang face next.  
__________  
Chapter Six: Return to Darkness  
  
A dark shadow loomed over the Masaki family as they sat together in their   
living room on the Yagami. Today they were leaving the Yagami but that in   
itself did not seem like sufficient cause for celebration, because they knew   
what lay ahead of them. The mood began to spread among the family when Washu   
brought up a question of what to do if they encountered Kagato again. Tenchi   
was   
immediately troubled, he hated Kagato more so than any other man who ever lived.   
He hated him for what he did to Ryoko and what his continued existence is doing   
to her now. The very notion that he was still alive tore a wound in Ryoko's  
heart that he felt also through their unique link. For Aeka it was a different   
experience, she only met with Kagato once in her life when they fought him on   
the Soja. Together she and Ryoko fought a desperate battle to kill Kagato to   
take revenge for Tenchi's death. Tenchi did not know if he did indeed die and  
that Tsunami resurrected him or not, but he did know that he was not conscious   
after the fragment of Ryouhl that Ryu-Ohki was carrying exploded. The next   
thing he remembered was appearing before Tsunami and thinking for an instant   
that she was an angel because she was so beautiful, but she explained things  
to him and teleported him to the Soja. When he arrive he made short work of   
Kagato by employing the power of the Light Hawk Wings. Since that time, after   
great practice and intense training, he has learned to call upon the awesome   
power that had been hidden away in him since his birth. Now that power was to   
be put to the ultimate test for Kagato was still alive and he was more powerful   
than ever before because he was now a Darkling Regent. A Regent was a powerful   
creature with immense powers and abilities that dwarfed most, if not all, other   
Darklings expect for the Regis. Together the Regent and Regis can spawn  
Darklings that are more powerful and destructive than the ones they can create   
by infecting their victims with their seed.  
The living room on the Yagami sat in a pocket of subspace just like   
Washu's lab back at the house on planet Earth billions of light years away.   
Here the family could set and talk and draw strength from one another. Since   
his union with Aeka and Ryoko a mood of optimism and hope had creped into the   
minds of the family, but what they were to face as they left the Dead Zone was   
quickly drowning any optimism they might have.  
"Lets face facts." Washu said explaining from behind her holo computer.   
"Yagami's etherealologic modifications will not be enough to withstand an all   
out attack by a Darkling ship."  
"You told us this already, Little Washu." Tenchi said.  
She looked at him and wondered if she heard a hint of exasperation in his   
voice that suspiciously sounded too much like what Ryoko would say. "True, but   
I need to emphasize this, we cannot take them on head on...not right now we   
can't." she said.  
"So we'll have to keep dodging them until we reach Jurai and hope they   
didn't do anything too serious there." Tenchi said with a sigh.  
"Why are they doing all of this anyway, what are they after?" Kiyone   
asked.  
"The Elo'Quin, the race of creatures of Orrin's universe that created   
Etherealology." Washu explained. "They made the initial discovery that magic   
was a normal formation of nature and could be harnessed using scientific means."  
"Because of this the Darklings saw the Elo'Quin as a major threat to their   
continued existence and they vowed to wipe out the Elo'Quin to keep   
Etherealology from ever being used against them." Yosho said from across the   
room where he sat in a lotus position.  
"That would sum it up quite well." Washu said, just a little impressed   
with Yosho's ability to dig down to the facts of things.  
"What exactly does Jurai have to do with all of this?" Aeka asked, she had   
heard some of Washu's earlier explanation but she needed to hear more.  
"The Elo'Quin scattered through space, time, and alternate realities."   
Washu explained. "Some came to this universe and dwelled on Jurai for a time."  
"Some of them must have had children with the Juraians, thus in the   
thinking of the Darklings that makes them a threat." Tenchi said, but he was   
only surmising.  
"Very good, Tenchi, there is hope for you yet." Washu said to him.   
Tenchi's face reddened. Washu sighed and said, "Despite all he told me, Orrin   
only knew very little about the Darklings, and the fact is that what we know is   
just the tip of the iceberg."  
Ryoko slammed her fist into the palm of her hand making a loud smacking   
sound. "Tenchi and I can call up our Light Hawk Wings and carve those assholes   
a new one." she said.  
Washu shook her head. "Foolish daughter, didn't you hear anything I just   
told you." Washu scolded her. "We don't know just how powerful they really   
are."  
"Ya, you and Tenchi had your Light Hawk Wings and they were still kicking   
our asses in Washu's lab." Kiyone said.  
Noboyuki cringed at the memory, he was an ordinary human caught in the   
middle of that hellish battle trying to protect a cowardly version of his son   
and a pregnant Sakuya from alternate dimensions.  
"Lets not talk about that, its bad enough I have to remember being in the   
middle of it." he said.  
"Sorry, Mr. Masaki." Kiyone said with real concern in her voice.  
"The Darkling ability to dampen magical energy is also a major stumbling   
block we need to get around." Washu said. "I've been working on a way to deal   
with that."  
"When they had me and Mihoshi, it was horrible." Kiyone said with tears in   
her eyes. "It was like a terrible combination of experiencing a constant orgasm   
and feeling someone ripping into your with chainsaw at the same time." Noboyuki   
slid over next to her and put his arm around her, she did not seem to notice   
this and did not try to move away from him. "I don't want to feel that ever   
again." she sobbed as Noboyuki held her.  
"I don't intend to let that happen to anyone again, especially the people   
I care about." Tenchi said. Aeka and Ryoko both gave him a physical hug and a   
wave of loving emotions through their link.  
"Tonight we leave the Dead Zone and enter normal space. We will be fair   
game from then on." Washu said.  
"Then I suggest that we keep a watch out of anything suspicious that could   
be a Darkling ship trying to ambush us." Yosho suggested.  
"I rigged the scanners of the ship to alert us the second a Darkling   
energy signatures comes within sensor range." Washu told him.  
"We should also keep an optimistic attitude." Yosho said. "If you keep   
your worst fears in your heart then you are doomed to experience them."  
"Good philosophies, I only hope it will work." Tenchi said.  
"Anything will be better than being destroyed by those monsters." Aeka   
said.  
Sasami yawned deeply and leaned up against Mihoshi who kept very silent   
through the entire conversation. "We won't be of any use in an attack if   
collapse from lack of sleep." she said as the now young teenaged princess lay   
her head in the blonde policewoman's lap and feel asleep.  
"Mihoshi, sometimes I think your air headedness is just a rouse." Washu   
said. "But, she is right, we need to get some sleep."  
"Look at her, she's still as cute as when she was a child." Tenchi said.  
"In body she may be fourteen or so, but in mind Sasami is still a child."   
Aeka said.  
"A child who has to do alot of growing up really fast, I feel sorry for   
her sometimes knowing what she must be going through." Washu said.  
"Mihoshi would you take her to bed, I'll take first watch on the bridge."   
Kiyone said.  
"I'll take second." Ryoko spoke up.  
"We need one more." Kiyone said.  
"I'll do it." Noboyuki said. It was at that moment that Kiyone realized   
just who's arms she was in. She did not know whether to blush or punch his   
lights out. Noboyuki had made no attempt to fondle her or grope her at all. In   
fact, his hands were placed in such a way that he was far from anything that   
could be misunderstood as a sexual advance. Noboyuki was actually acting   
normal, and Kiyone for some reason like it. Wait a minute, I can't actually be   
starting to like this guy, she thought to herself, the first thing he did when I   
moved into the Masaki home was to try and sneak a picture of me naked in the   
Onsen, but Ryoko showed up and stopped him. I can't trust him, he'll just   
trying to grab my ass or something when I stand up. But she saw genuine concern   
in the man's eyes when she looked at him. Oh my God, I can't believe   
myself...I'm starting to LIKE Tenchi's dad, she thought to herself again as she   
blushed a deep red. Thankfully for her nobody but Noboyuki noticed.  
Mihoshi helped a very groggy Sasami to her bedroom and Yosho retreated to   
his own room. Soon the only ones left were Tenchi, his wives, and Washu.   
Kiyone walked with Noboyuki out of the living room and they parted when they   
reach their rooms. Kiyone went into the room that she shared with Mihoshi to  
get ready for her first shift on the bridge, and Noboyuki went to his private   
room at the end of the hall.  
"I can see that the link has done wonders for you three." Washu said with   
a humorous smirk on her face.  
"Our love for Tenchi has helped us maintain the peace." Aeka said.  
"Its not just that, I suspect that your link is also allowing certain   
personality traits to slowly work their into your own." Washu said.  
Tenchi frowned for a moment. "What do you mean, Little Washu?" he asked.  
"Ryoko has been exhibiting a little bit of your common sense Tenchi, and a   
little bit of Ryoko's wild side has become a part of you." She said. "Aeka has   
changed a little also, she isn't that poor shy little princess we knew months   
ago."  
"I am not a poor shy little princess!" Aeka said, her eyes flashing with   
anger, and she stood up  
in a pose that looked like one Ryoko used to use against her during their fights   
over Tenchi.  
"That's a typical Ryoko-esque reaction if I ever saw one." Washu said.  
"Huh?" Aeka said suddenly as she looked down at herself and noticed what   
she was doing.  
"It's nothing to worry about, its a change that is for the better, I hope   
but the link between you three if slowly changing your personalities." Washu   
explained.  
"If it gives me a little piece of Ryoko and Aeka within myself I can live   
with that." Tenchi said, and the two women have him loving kisses.  
Washu sighed. "There was time when I wish I could have been the one in   
your arms." she said.  
Tenchi looked at her and remember the day she tried to collect her sample.   
She offered to extract it in a number of different ways until Mihoshi showed up   
and interrupted her.  
"I didn't know your feelings for me were...real." he said to her. Aeka   
and Ryoko both gave Washu a very strange look.  
"For a while it was, but most of it was raw lust." she said, and Tenchi   
blushed. "You were very cute and you were the first man I'd been close to in   
several thousand years, so you can't really blame me for being a little horny."  
Tenchi gulped. [So that is where Ryoko gets it.] he thought to himself   
and he heard Ryoko chuckle as she received the thought.  
"Tenchi sweetie, my mother can almost be as hentai as your Dad." Ryoko   
laughed out loud.  
Washu make the kind of face she usually made when someone called her name   
without added "Little" to the beginning. "True but I don't transmit it to the   
world like he does." she said. Aeka and Ryoko sent Tenchi vivid images into his   
mind different things Washu had shown them over the years, alien porn,  
exotic sex toys, and a robotic copy of him with a manhood-feature that would   
have rivaled the size of the legendary John Holmes. Tenchi turned blood red,   
and he looked at his wives while they looked back at him and licked their lips.   
He made love to them each a few times since their bonding, so he was not very  
embarrassed about thinking such thoughts about them, but to be the object of   
lust   
he was not accustomed to it.  
"Well, we have to getting to bed." Ryoko said as she stood up and grabbed   
Tenchi's arm.  
"Yes, I agree." Aeka said. "The early worm gets the bird, as they say."  
"That's the early bird gets the worm." Tenchi corrected.  
[Worm, oh yes, the worm.] Aeka said through the link with a very sweet   
smile and mischief in her voice.  
"Don't tire him out too much, girls." Washu called after them as they   
headed for their room. "He might have to be in prime condition if we meet our   
dark friends."  
  
Kiyone watched the scopes on Yagami's bridge but saw nothing for millions   
of miles. They had already left the Dead Zone behind and were traveling   
through stable space. Planet Jurai was only a few days away at maximum speed.   
She took the time to think things though about this sudden change of   
attitude towards Tenchi's father. She noticed over the weeks that he was   
changing, whether the events of their journey were maturing him, or he was just   
growing out of his hentai stage she did not know. She did know that when ever   
he looked at her or she at him she felt very strange, and she blushed. It   
started that day they talked on the bridge after they first launched on his   
trip, and it became worse since then.  
Despite his age she had to admit that Noboyuki was not altogether   
unpleasant to look at. He was old enough to be her father, but she personally   
know women in the GP who married men alot older than they were. The very   
thought of marriage suddenly made her cringe. She knew that she would not be at   
peace until she had a talk with him about this. She had to set things straight   
before they out of hand, but every time she thought about ending what was   
starting to happen she suddenly felt very uneasy. It was as if something inside   
her was warning her that she was about to make a serious mistake. She   
recognized it as that little voice in the back of her head that always popped up   
when she yelled too much at Mihoshi sometimes...it was her conscience. She   
sighed, "Dammit, of all the men in the universe I have to start falling for why   
him?"  
Before long her wristwatch started to chime and she looked at the time and   
saw it was time to get Ryoko for her shift. Before she got up though Ryoko   
phased though the hatch and sat in the copilot seat. She has a very satisfied   
look on her face, and her hair seemed a little matted down from sweat.  
"I was just about to come get you." Kiyone said.  
"Hmm?" Ryoko said like she wasn't paying attention.  
"I see you've been preoccupied." Kiyone said with a sly smile know exactly   
why Ryoko was drenched in sweat.  
"I don't want to be known as one to kiss and tell, but Tenchi is very very   
very good in bed." Ryoko said.  
"I can just imagine." Kiyone said remembering all the times she had seen   
Tenchi in action with his bokken at his grandfather's shrine and marveling at   
how fast and strong he was despite his misleadingly skinny appearance.  
"So, I take it was all quiet tonight?" Ryoko asked as she looked at the   
scope on her console.  
"Not so much as an asteroid." Kiyone said.  
"Well, get some sleep, I've it now." Ryoko said.  
"Thanks." Kiyone said as she stood up and started to head towards the   
hatch. She stopped and looked at Ryoko.  
"Ryoko, what do you think of Tenchi's father?" she asked.  
Ryoko looked back at her and was about to make a derogatory remark about   
the man but she was the serious look at Kiyone's face.  
"He's a hentai most of the time, but he tried to do the right think when   
it comes to Tenchi." she said. "Despite all the things he does he is not that   
bad a person and he loves his son very much."  
"Despite the hentai aspect, what do you think about him?" Kiyone asked.  
"I think that part of him appeared when Tenchi's mom died, it tore them   
both apart pretty bad." Ryoko told her. "I used to see Noboyuki and Achika as   
teenagers walking through the forest near my cave. They were really in love and   
they made love a few times on the bank of the lake. Despite the fact that  
she is gone he is very devoted to her still. I think he pretty nice guy, if you   
overlook the hentai in him."  
"Thanks." Kiyone said. "Could you keep this conversation just between   
us?"  
"Sure." Ryoko said as she did a Spock Maneuver.  
"Thanks again." Kiyone said as she left though the hatch.  
Ryoko turned back around to the scopes and said to herself, "What was that   
all about?"  
  
In their quarters Tenchi held Aeka in his arms, they lay on the bed   
drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. He looked into her crimson eyes and he   
was a desire there, not a simple desire for his body but for something more,   
something like what Ryoko was giving him. He pulled her close and he kissed her   
longingly. He felt through their link the need for her to do this in her.  
"It will happen when I happens." he told her.  
"It happened to Ryoko so soon, and we knew humans and Juraians are   
compatible because of my brother." she said.  
"What I'm surprise about is that Ryoko and I are compatible." he said.  
"I just wish I could give you a token of my love same as her." Aeka said   
with a sad sigh.  
"Don't turn it into a competition, you two haven't fought over me for a   
while now." he told her.  
Aeka shook her head. "We've both come to far and changed too much to go   
back to our old ways." She said. "Its just I wish I could give you a child,   
also."  
Tenchi hugged her tight and felt it was a need in her that very great.   
She wanted to give him a child the same as Ryoko. It had been a desire of Ryoko   
to be the mother of his child too before she discovered that she was pregnant.  
"We can keep trying." he told her and she gave him a powerful kiss.  
[Love you so much.] she said through their link.  
[I love you, Aeka.] he said though their link.  
Before long they feel asleep in each other's arms. As they drifted off   
the protective barrier they erected in their minds dropped and Ryoko could feel   
them on the other end of the link again. Before he went totally unconscious   
Tenchi sent a wave of loving emotions to both his wives. Ryoko smiled as she  
watched the scopes on the bridge and patted her stomach gently. She was not   
showing yet, but she knew that inside their was a tiny life that she made with   
Tenchi. She was concerned that all the action they had seen in the past few   
weeks might have endangered the baby, but Washu assured her that the baby was  
just fine.  
Hours passed and Ryoko looked at the chronometer and saw it was time for   
Noboyuki to take his turn. She decided to wait for him to show up before going   
to get him. Elsewhere on the ship Kiyone found it very hard to sleep, she   
tossed and turned in her bed. It was not from Mihoshi's snoring, she  
had gotten used to that, but it was from the images of Noboyuki that kept   
popping up in her mind. She sat up and looked at the digital clock next to her   
bed. She saw it was nearing Noboyuki's turn on the bridge. She got up, slipped   
into a pair of slippers and smoothed out the wrinkles in her nightgown.  
She padded her way towards the bridge and stopped at the hatch, she heard a   
sound and hid in an alcove as Noboyuki passed her and opened the hatch to the   
bridge. She heard Ryoko's voice say something and then heard Noboyuki say   
goodnight to Ryoko as she left. Kiyone stepped up to the closed hatch and  
wondered if she was about to do the right thing. Her hands were trembling as   
she opened the hatch and slowly walked inside.  
Tenchi's father was sitting at the pilot's seat looking over the scopes   
and consoles and scratching his head. "Who am I kidding, I don't even know what   
half of these things do." she heard him say. "Knowing my luck I'll accidently   
hit the self-destruct."  
"I rigged that one out for safety a long time ago." she said, and Noboyuki   
almost jumped out of his skin.  
He recovered quickly and started rubbing the back of his head the way   
Tenchi usually did. "I guess with a partner like Mihoshi you have to." he   
laughed. So, that's were Tenchi gets it from, Kiyone said to herself.  
Kiyone could not help but notice that Noboyuki did not seem to react to   
the fact that she was in her nightgown. She half expected him to bee ogling   
her. She was not at all unpleasant to look at and she had a very well formed   
and athletic body. One of the things that did get to her though was the fact   
that men seemed to pay more attention to Mihoshi than to her whenever they   
went out on the town. Men seemed to be intimidated by her for some reason.   
She figured because she gave the impression she was all career and had no   
room for anything else. In fact, Kiyone had felt something was missing from   
her life for a long time, and that thing was a serious relationship with a man.  
"Ya, before I did she accidentally tripped it at least twice a day." she   
said with a chuckle. Kiyone walked up to the co-pilot seat and sat down.   
Noboyuki was looking at the scopes and he absently looked over at her for a   
second. He did not seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, but  
suddenly took a double take when he noticed what she was wearing for the first   
time. Noboyuki's usual reaction to a beautiful woman in lacy lingerie was   
replaced by a deep red blush.  
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked as he started to sweat. Kiyone noticed this.  
"No." she said. "Which is why I came here."  
He looked at her and could not help but notice the look on her face. He   
had to admit that he did like her very much. She was indeed a very beautiful   
woman, she was not as drop dead gorgeous as Ryoko and Aeka, but she wasn't ugly   
either. He could not help but see the smooth curves of her body visible  
underneath her night gown, and the distinct shape of her breasts, the way her   
dark teal hair feel down her shoulder. He blinked and tore his eyes away,   
turning a little redder. What am I kidding, he thought to himself, she thinks   
I'm an old hentai and I'm at least 20 years older than her. Since he could  
not help wonder why she was here, with him, in her nightgown knowing what he   
was like. But your only like that because you and Achika were such passionate   
lovers, and when she passed on it left a deep void in your life, said a voice   
deep within his soul.  
"Tell me about Achika." Kiyone said.  
"Huh?" he asked, not hearing her correctly.  
"Tell me about Achika, what kind of woman was she?" she asked.  
"She was my life, my treasure, my first true love." he said, the words   
coming to him from his heart. "I met her when I visited the Masaki Shrine one   
year, I feel in love with her the first time I saw her, but she hated by guts.   
It took two years to get her to come around and after that we started dating.   
We didn't starting getting really serious until after we graduated high school.   
Katsuhito helped me get into college and I took up architecture. After I   
graduated we got married, and a year later we had Tenchi. I loved her  
so much, she was the world to me, and when she died it took a piece of me with   
her." He almost seemed on verge of tears, and Kiyone felt like kicking herself   
for causing him this pain.  
"She was a loving woman, she liked the poems I used to write her when we   
started dating." he said.  
"You write poetry?" Kiyone asked, quite surprised.  
"I was young and deeply in love, Achika was such a beautiful woman, and   
don't tell Aeka or Ryoko this but I feel she was more beautiful than either of   
them put together." he said.  
Kiyone remembered seeing pictures of Achika around the house. She had to   
admit that Achika was indeed a very lovely woman.  
"I know what your thinking, she had to have been some woman to put up with   
someone likme me, huh?" he said, it was more a statement than a question.   
"Truth is, you think I'm a hentai you should have met Achika." This revelation   
was a real shocker for Kiyone, she looked at him and saw the sincerity in his  
face.  
"She was as bad as you." she said with surprise in her voice.  
"Oh yes, I remember our first time, we were near what was Ryoko's cave   
when she attacked me and started tearing my clothes off. Well, pulling off, not   
quite tearing, but you get what I mean." he said. "She was something else, I   
guess that is why I am the way I am. After being married to a woman like her   
you  
begin to miss it when she is not around." Noboyuki put his face in his hands   
and he started to visibly weep. "The day she died will be a day I will never   
ever forget." he sobbed.  
Kiyone felt horrible, her simple question about his late wife elicited   
this powerful emotional reason and it was all her fault. She got up and walked   
up to him and put her hands on his shoulders. He looked up at her with tear   
fill eyes and she could see her reflection in them. For an instant she saw  
herself and Noboyuki standing side by side in weeding dress, she almost gasped   
at the vision, or was it what was in her heart.  
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to hurt you so." she said.  
"Its alright, if I don't get that out once in a while I might burst." he   
chuckled.  
"Nr. Masaki, Noboyuki, I have to talk you about something." she said.  
"What about, Kiyone?" he asked.  
Here it goes girl, the point of no return, she said to herself. "Do you   
think you will ever marry again?" she asked.  
"Only if I found the right the woman, a woman who would love me for who I   
am, and who would love my son." he said with sincerity in his voice.  
"What do you think of me?" she asked.  
That got a reaction. Noboyuki's eyes went wide with surprise and he   
searched her face for any sign of why she asked that question.  
"I thought you mated me?" he said. "I heard you say so the last time   
I....huh." She remembered saying such a think when he last tried to snap her   
picture in the onsen.  
"The past few days I have been thinking about you, I can't get you out of   
my mind, and today when you held me...." she said but her words trailed off when   
she found herself getting lost in Noboyuki's eyes.  
Oh my God, I am in love with him, she said to herself, I'm doomed!  
The passion of the moment grabbed them and they leaned towards one   
another, their lips getting closer about to touch when suddenly klaxxons sounded   
on the bridge. They turned and looked at the scopes and several red indicators   
appeared.  
"Darklings, they found us." Kiyone hissed.  
"Damn." Noboyuki said under his breath and he got up from the pilot's seat   
so Kiyone could take the controls.  
"Go back and wake everybody, if I can't loose them we're going to have a   
fight on our hands." Kiyone said.  
"I'n going." he said and then turned back. "Kiyone, about what happened."  
"If we get through this we can pick up where we left off." she said with a   
smile.  
"I'd really like that." he said and passed through the hatch.  
Well, Kiyone, you passed the threshold, I hope I know what I'm doing, she   
said to herself.  
  
The Regis saw through the eyes of her minions on the ships that pursued   
the Yagami. She felt the power of the beings inside the ship and she could feel   
the disgusting throb of Elo'Quin energy. It enraged her, but she reined in her   
rage and concentrated on maintaining the link. Five Darkling craft, the same  
configuration that confronted the Lunari, followed the Yagami at a distance   
after detecting it in space. She quickly called upon several more in the area   
and before long she had nearly twenty ships surrounding the ship.  
Kiyone watched the ship appear on her scope and she started to sweat.   
Tenchi and the others came onto the bridge just as the twentieth ship showed up.  
"We've got a problem." she told them.  
Back on the lead Darkling craft, the Regis still commanded the body and   
mind of the captain of that ship. She turned to the crew of the ship who were   
mentally linked to the subsystems in the vessel for navigation, weapons and   
engineering. She herself looked at her Regent, Kagato as he too looked  
through the eyes of a captain on another one of the pursuing ships.  
"We have no need of them anymore. All is going as planned on Jurai,   
unless you want them?" the Regis asked him.  
"I no longer need the Tsunami Unit, and Ryoko has soiled herself with that   
boy....kill them." He said. "But lets toy with them a bit, take two of his   
friends  
and let the others live to feel the pain of loss."  
The Regis smiled broadly. "As you desire, my Regent." she said.  
  
Tenchi looked at the scopes, understanding only half of what he was   
looking at, and looked back at Kiyone. "Your saying there is no way we can   
loose them?" he asked.  
"We have no cover, and if we can see them on our scopes they can most   
certainly see us." she said.  
Washu had her holocomputer engaged and was working so fast that her hands   
seemed to almost be blurring as they moved.  
"These are new, they seem more powerful than the ones we encountered   
before." she said. "We can't take these guys on, they out gun us and out   
number us."  
"All we can do is run and hope they can't overtake us." Kiyone said.  
"That does not leave us with many options." Yosho said, rubbing his chin.  
"I seem to recall that there was an asteroid field in his area." Ryoko   
said.  
They all looked at her. "Where?" Kiyone asked.  
"Near the star Caprima Prime." she said. Kiyone checked the charts and a   
diagram of the system showed up on her screen.  
"Its three hours from here at top speed." she said. "If we can make it   
there we might be able to loose them."  
"How much time will this add to our journey to Jurai?" Aeka asked.  
"No more than a few hours if we are careful." Kiyone said.  
"I hate asteroids, remember the last time we went into asteroids, Kiyone?"   
Mihoshi asked.  
"Don't remind me, but this time I'm at the helm." she said.  
"That rock ran out in front of me, it wasn't my fault." Mihoshi cried.  
"It never is." Kiyone hissed under her breath. She felt a pat on her   
shoulder as she looked to see Noboyuki smile at her. She returned the smile.   
Thankfully, nobody notice the exchange because they were too busy looking at the   
scopes and indicators..  
"Do whatever you need to do, I feel that something terrible is happening   
or is about to happen on Jurai." Tenchi told Kiyone.  
"Oh no." Sasami gasped.  
"I'll try." Kiyone told him.  
"We all believe in you, Kiyone." he said.  
  
Kiyone made for the asteroid field at top speed. On the scopes the   
Darkling  
ships were altering course to follow them. One important lession taught in the   
GP  
was now to avoid a greater apponent until backup arrive, but in this situation   
there  
would be no backup. She employed all that she had learned on evasion and guided   
the  
ship in among the giant asteroids. Noboyuki sat gripping his seat, he was   
reliving  
the asteroid chase scene from that Star Wars movie first hand. The ship jolted   
a few  
times as Kiyone fired retros to make quick course correctsto avoid a large rock.   
Far  
ahead in the viewport Noboyuki could make out the really massive asteroids   
tumbling  
in the distance. A few he guessed has to be at least the size of Japan   
themselves,  
and maybe larger.  
The ships on the scope were getting closer and moving much faster. Kiyone  
swore under her breath as she avoid smacking the Yagami on a huge rock the size   
of  
a Volkswagon Beetle. It wouod not be long until those ships were on top of   
them,  
and she still did not know if she could really loose them out here. There were  
throusands of smaller asteroids, but the larger ones congragrated near the enter   
of  
the belt. The throttle was set to full, she could not get anymore speed out of   
the  
ship without overloading the engines which would create a titanic explosion when   
the  
quantum sigularity core explodes.  
Tenchi and the others left the bridge to batten things down in their   
private  
quaters for when things got dicy. Noboyuki elected to stay with Kiyone to give   
her  
moral support. He watched the scopes from his seat to Mihoshi's console, his   
fear  
rising as the Darkling ships quickly closed the distance between them.  
  
Lightyears away the Darkling Regis walked through the corridores of her   
ship  
when a wave of agony washed over her. She recognized the feeling, it was the   
feeling  
of thousands of her kind somewhere, another galaxy, another universe, suddenly   
loosing  
their life. The sensation subsided after several agonizing moments and she   
found  
herself on the ground. As soon as she stood, she heard the voice of her master   
in her  
mind.  
[Regis!] the voice called.  
[Lord.} she answered.  
[A problem has arrisen, a Champion of Light has appeared.] the master told   
her.  
[Out plans in dimension 001 have failed, our ranks thinned, and our forces   
defeated.]  
[How could this be?] she asked in sudden disbelief.  
[We underestimated our dreaded foe, the Elo'Quin once again.] the master   
said.  
[The one know as Orrin Quintarin has arrisen as a Champion of Light and he   
possess  
immense power.]  
[How long until we can strike again?] she asked.  
[Our main forces are still very far away, but I must warn you that the   
Champion  
of Light is travelling to your dimensional coordinates.]  
{What, but I felt the defeat just a moment ago.] the Regis replied.  
[Time differences between the two universes vary.] the voice said. [That   
defeat  
occured four centuries ago. The Champion of Light is coming and you must be   
ready to  
meet him, he must not be allowed to join the one know as Tenchi Masaki.]  
[The human boy, but what threat could he pose to us?] the Regis asked.  
[He possess the greatest power in that universe, but has little   
understanding of  
the full extent of his abilities.] the master told her. {He must never learn   
how to  
use this power or our plans here will meet a similar end.]  
[I understand, our forces are pursuing his ship as we speak, the boy will   
be  
dead soon.] the Regis replied with a smile.  
[Excellent.] said the voice. [In the meantime, I am sending you a gift.]  
The Regis nearly feel to the ground again as a vision suddenly entered her   
head.  
She was standing in deep space with nothing around her, suddenly a large portal   
opened  
up before her. The portal was massive, several thousand miles across. The   
power it took  
to generate such a portal was massive, and the Regis knew the master was using   
up a great  
deal of his own essense to create it. From the swirling maw of the portal   
hundreds of  
thousands of shapes began to form. The Regis watched in fascination as the   
shapes  
became ships, thousands of ships, and all of them were Darkling craft. These   
were  
different from the ones she commanded, they were the elite forces. They   
nightmares  
given physical shape, and they were the msot powerful ships the Darklings had at   
their  
disposal. She laughed and knew that the crew commanding thses ships were no   
ordinary  
Darklings also. These were the true Darklings, the creatures from which their   
seed  
spawned.  
[They are yours to command, use them well.] the voice told her before the   
vision  
faded leaving her back on her own ship.  
  
The situation for the Yagami became very grave as the first of several   
Darkling  
ships came within firing range of the ship. Kiyone dove the ship towards one of   
the  
larger asteroids as energy blasts burst around them. Several more ships   
suddenly   
appeared and added their own fire power to the mix. Kiyone set the rear guns to  
automatic so they would return fire, but even with the monifications the weapons   
did  
no damage to these new Darkling ships.  
In the crew quarters Washu summoned a viewscreen of the ships and she   
watched  
their power readouts. She got a clear picture of what these new ships could   
really  
done and she whistled.  
"Ryoko, you won't be able to pull your stunt on these ships like you did   
that  
one before we entered the Dead Zone." she told her daughter.  
"Why is that?" Ryoko asked.  
"I think these might be the type of ship that took out that Juraian ship,   
the  
Lunari." she said looking at Sasami. The new teenaged princess just looked down   
at  
the floor. "Your Light Hawk Wings alone may not be enough." she continued.  
"How can we beat them then?" Tenchi asked.  
Washu just sat there and looked at her hands. "I don't know, for the   
first time  
in my life, Tenchi, I don't really know."  
  
According to the laws of astrophysics, the more massive an object the   
larger its  
gravity becomes. With asteroids this is the same as well, and occasionally some   
are  
large enough to pull in smaller asteroids as satelites. In some very rare   
occurances  
an asteroids is large enough to hold its own atmosphere. Although the   
atmosphere is  
very thin and ususally made up of gases that are not breathable by most humanoid  
beings. In a very few reasonably rare situations an asteroids is large enough   
to   
hold a thicker atmosphere, and rarely still that atmophere is breathable. This   
was  
the kind of asteroid that Kiyone saw through the viewscreen of the Yagami as she  
tried to avoid their Darkling pursuers.  
"We might be able to use that to evade them." she said. "its not an M-  
class  
atmosphere, which is pretty rare, but its thin so it might be like being as a   
very  
high altitude on Earth."  
"That is assuming we leave the ship, right?" Noboyuki asked her.  
"Right now I want to be ready for anything." she replied, and then a blast   
hit  
the ship from behind. Her eyes went wide as she watched the stress guages on   
the shields  
go above the tolerance level and quickly return to normal.  
"Shit, one more like that and our shields will be gone." she shouted aftrr   
the  
jolting subsided.  
  
Sociological and political turmoil on Earth prevented most of the ground   
based  
observatories and monitoring stations from detecting a strange anomali occuring   
near  
the moon. A small rip in the fabric of space and time formed, manifesting as a   
round,  
stable portal. From the black depths of this portal a single starship emerged.   
It  
was unlike any ship that had ever been seen or ever will be seen in this   
universe. The  
ship was sleek, almost organic in appearance, and its outer hull was shiny   
black. The  
starship had no visible engines or external hatches, and it needed none since   
the ship  
could form a hatch out of its own molecular structure, and it had a will of its   
own.  
Three humanoid beings sat in the spacious bridge of this unique starship.   
One  
was a young man appearing to be in his early teens who sat at an astrogation   
console,  
a young teenaged girl sat at a communications and sensor console, and an older   
man  
in his late twenties sat at the helm. An accented voice, resembling a British   
accent,  
can out of nowhere and everywhere at the same time, "Dimensional drive   
disengaged, we  
have arrived."  
"Open a channel on frequency 234.341.1." the older helmsman ordered.  
"Channel open, Dad." the teen communications officer replied.  
"Hello, are you there?" the helmsman asked, knowing his words were being   
broadcast.  
"I know you detected our arrival, please answer."  
Only static answered his hail on the other end of the link.  
"I don't think they got the signal." the girl at the com station said.   
"Sensors  
read that the signal is bouncing back."  
"Is there any activitiy in the subspace pocket attached to the house in   
Japan?"  
the helmsman asked.  
"None at all, and there are only two humanoid lifeforms down there." the   
girl said.  
"One Homosapian, and the other an unknown alien species, but it appears female."  
The helmsman scratched his chin a moment. "We are at the corrrect   
dimensional  
coordinates?" the accented voice said out loud.  
"Then, where is everyone?" the navigator asked for the first time from his   
post.  
"If I might make a suggestion, your highness, I am detecting something   
that might  
be of interest to you further from the planet." the voice said. A holographic   
image  
appeared in front of the helmsman displaying an orbital scematic of the planet   
Earth.  
"I am detecting tbe residual radiation from the Starburst Unit." the voice   
said  
as a small red blotch appeared along the orbital track of the planet.  
"That can't be, its been over 400 years." the helmsman said.  
"The rate of decay of the radiation indicates that only 6 to 7 months have  
passed since the incident." the voice replied.  
The helmsman's eyes went wide in disbelief, but then recognition appeared   
on his  
face and he smacked his hand onto his forehead. "Damn, I forgot about temporal   
physics  
differenciation factor." he said.  
"Huh?" the two teenagers said together, not sure exactly what their   
helmsman/father  
had just said.  
"The physics of time are different in each univese." the voice explained.   
"Four  
hundred years have passed for us, but only 6 to 7 months for them have passed."  
"Sp, where are the people that Dad knows at?" the navigator asked the   
voice.  
"In the vicinity of the radiation zone I am detecting a very faint ion   
trail."  
the voice replied. "It is so faint that standard instrumentation would not have   
detected it."  
The teen girl called up a three-dimensional representation of the icon   
trail and  
said, "This looks a lot like the thrust trail of a hyperdrive."  
The helmsman called up his own image of the ion trail and plotted out the   
course  
the trail was heading towards. "If the Earth were at this position it looks   
like a ship  
launched from the surface and jumped ito hyperspace from here." he said. "They   
were  
talking about go to planet Jurai before I left."  
"Dad, you said there were Darklings here, right?" the teen girl asked.  
"Yes, there were." the helmsman replied.  
"Kryton, scan Washu's old star charts from this universe and set a course   
for  
Jurai." the helmsman said. "I didn't know what I know now about the Darkness   
back  
then, and I'm afraid she is getting herself into serious trouble."  
"I have set the course, you may engage it at any time, Darius." the voice   
said.  
"Thanks, Kryton." the teen boy said from his astrogation post.  
"Prince Orrin, will we see Mistress Washu again?" Kryton asked.  
"I hope we do old friend, I hope we do." Prince Orrin Quintarin, who sat   
at the helm,  
said. The Kryton streeked through space away from the planet Earth, a black   
portal in space  
appeared in front of the ship and it passed through. The portal closed with a   
bright  
flash of light and the ship was gone.  
  
Washu was monitoring the same readings and she gasped in disbelief at what   
she  
just witnessed. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "That shot almost penetrated the   
shields!"  
Yagami reached the massive asteroid that held an atmosphere. The sensors   
on  
the bridge indicated that it was indeed breathable, but a bit thin. If they had   
to  
leave the ship for some reason they would be a little light headed from it but   
it  
was not so thin that they could not breath it.  
"Lets get up to the bridge, Kiyone might need our help." Tenchi said, but   
as he  
headed for the door he was thrown to the deck as the ship suffered another jolt.  
A shot from another Darkling ship struck the Yagami, the blast overloaded   
the  
shields and in Engineering the shield generator exploded. The sound echoed   
through  
the ship and could be heard in the subspace living quarters and the bridge.   
Kiyone  
watched the status readouts for the ship systems suddenly go wild. The   
explosion of  
the shield generator started a chain reaction in Engineering that destroyed   
several  
other systems. One by one vital ship systems began to fail, helm control was   
one of  
those systems, and then the main engines went offline. All Kiyone could control  
were auxilary thrusters designed to aid in docking. These made little impact on   
the  
ship as it punged, out of control, into the cloudy atmosphere of the asteroid.  
Kiyone could not say a word, she knew that nothing she could say would   
change  
was about to happen. She knew that they would probably die. All she could do   
was  
look over at a very frightened Noboyuki and say, "I'm so sorry."  
Noboyuki, still strapped into Mihoshi's seat, reached out with his hand   
towards  
her. Kiyone reached out and took his hand and he squeezed it. They were unable   
to  
take their eyes off each other for several minutes.  
"I love you." Kiyone said, saying it from her heart.  
"I love you." Noboyuki replied. Seconds later they were both knocked   
unconscious  
by the impact of the ship hitting the surface.  
  
"Sire, I am detecting Washu's life signs in realspace!" Kryton almost   
shouted  
as they speed through subspace.  
"Where, what coordinates?" Orrin asked immediately.  
"221.056.987 mark 2." Kryton replied.  
"We'll be near those coordinates in two minutes." Darius said.  
The teenaged girl at the communications station, Yuki, pulled up a sensor  
analysis of the same coordinates. "Oh god!" she said. "Dad, there are Darkling  
ship crawling all over that area, class three!"  
"Take us out of subspace, give me weapons control." Orrin said.  
The Kryton suddenly appeared in realspace through the same type of portal   
it  
vanished into a few moments ago in Earthspace. The swirling tunnel of light of  
subspace was replaced by the view of the asteroid field where the Yagami had   
been  
moments before came into view.  
"I have turn over all weapon function over to you, sire." Kryton said.  
"Washu's live readings are faint, but Z can pinpoint her location on  
a large planetoid class asteroid in the area." Yuki said. She tapped a few keys  
on her console and a red indicator appeared on the main viewscreen on the bridge  
indicating the location.  
"Shields up, engage cloak, we're going in." Orrin ordered. A force field  
sprang to life around the Kryton and as it moved towards the asteroid field the  
ship softly shimmered and slowly vanished.  
  
Washu opened one eye and tried to lift her head, and immediately regretted   
the  
idea. A wave of pain washed over her entire body, so she slowly rolled over   
onto her  
back and opened both eyes to see where she was. The first thing she noticed was   
that  
she was not on the Tagami, the air of thin but breathable, and she was lying   
amonst  
several large boulders. After a few minutes she was able to sit up without   
feeling  
a great deal of pain. She discovered that somehow she had been thrown from the  
ship in the impact, she did not know how she actually got out of the ship. The  
wreckage of the Yagami was not far away from where she lay. The vessel was a   
totally  
lost cause now, it was broken in half at the middle, and the engine section was   
missing.  
Washu reached out with her mind to focus on her link with Ryoko and she   
sighed  
with relief when she got a faint trace of a thought. A roaring sound of a ship  
overhead caught her attention and she was a Darkling ship descend out of the   
clouds.  
[Ryoko!] she called through her link. [The Darklings are coming!]  
Still somewhere in the wreckage, Ryoko was just now climbing to her feet.   
In  
an act that was more instinct than anything else, Aeka had summoned a force   
field  
around herself, Ryoko and Tenchi. Sasami had called upon a force field also,   
and  
across from where they were Ryoko could see Sasami kneeling in concentration as  
energy radiated from her to surround herself, Mihoshi, and Katsuhito.  
[Where are you?] Ryoko asked her mother.  
[I'm outside the ship.] Washu replied. [We need to get to the bridge to   
see  
if Kiyone and Noboyuki are alright.]  
Aeka dispelled her shield and helped Tenchi and Ryoko to their feet.   
Sasami  
did the same thing. Tenchi noticed that the subspace living area they had been   
in  
was gone, and that they were now inside the empty storage closet that it had   
been  
created in. His immediate thought was for his father.  
"I'll check out the bridge to see if they are alright." Ryoko said and she  
teleported away.  
Outside Washu watched in horror as dozens of third stage Darklings began   
to   
drop from the skies as the ship passed overhead. The creatures hissed in rage   
as they  
advanced on the wreckage, intent on killing anyone or anything that survived.   
One of  
the creatures landed and spotted her. Washu turned and ran as fast as she could   
and  
the Darkling bolted after her. Her 20,000 years of her mortal life passed   
before her  
very eyes as she ran. Memories of her past billions of years before that came   
like  
a flood to her.  
  
Ryoko materialized on the bridge to find the placed a total wreck. The   
whole  
chamber had taken the brunt of the impact and most of the consoles were totally  
destroyed. What sbx immediately noticed was that Noboyuki and Kiyone were   
missing.  
At first Ryoko thought that maybe they ran from the bridge before the impact, so   
she  
cut open the hatch and went into the corridor behind the bridge. She could nto   
find  
them there either. She phased up through the ship and landed on the upper hull   
and  
witnessed a horrific scene. Darklings the likes of which she had never seen   
before  
were swarming towards the wrecked ship. In the distance she could see who   
Darklings  
carrying what looked like a man and woman slumped over their shoulders. She   
teleported  
closer and gasped when she realized it was Noboyuki and Kiyone. Ryoko ignited   
her  
sword and lunged at them, but the Darklings ignored her and both creatures   
phased into  
subspace before she could strike.  
[Tenchi, they have Kiyone and your father, I couldn't stop them!] she   
cried over  
her link. She felt a wave of sorrow float from Tenchi's end of the link and   
saddness  
from Aeka's, but Tenchi voice replied, [You did what you could, get back here   
quick.]  
  
Washu ran as fast as her short legs would carry her in her child-like   
form. The  
creature behind her snarled and hissed in rage, but was enjoying the chase   
immensely. She  
knew she would not be able to escape the creature forever, and tapped a small   
button on  
her bracelet. A black portal opened behind her and several round objects   
ejected out in  
the path of the the Darkling. The monster did not have enough time to avoid the   
objects  
and they collided with it with explosive results. The diminutive genius smiled   
wickedly  
as she looked back and saw a fireball rise into the air behind her. The   
explosives were  
not etherealogic, and only served to slow the creature down. Once it picked   
itself up  
off the ground and pushed large boulders off itself it started to scan the   
horizon for  
its prey. Washu had already found a cubby hole in a large house-sized boulder   
to hide  
herself in.  
[Daughter, use Ryu-Ohki and get out of here!] she called to Ryoko through   
her  
mind link.  
Ryoko had reached Tenchi and the others just as she received the message.   
{No,  
I won't leave you!] Ryoko cried over the link.  
Washu looked into the sky from her hiding place and watched several more   
Darkling  
ships descend out of the clouded atmosphere. [More of them are coming, think of   
the  
baby and the others.] she pleaded.  
[You can't ask me to do this, you can't!] Ryoko cried.  
[You must, I'll be alright, if I can I will meet up with you on Jurai.]   
Washu lied.  
[Please go, hurry before they swarm over you.]  
  
Tears filled Ryoko's eyes as she heard Washu's words in her mind. Tenchi   
and Aeka  
could hear the exchange as well and shared her pain.  
"She wants us to leave her behind." Ryoko told the others.  
"She is sacraficing herself in order for us to escape to safety." Yosho   
said as he  
cloaed his eyes in sadness.  
"I can't let her do it." Ryoko said, new tears threatening to fall.  
"She wouldn't want us to try and stop her." Tenchi said, his love washing   
over her  
through their link. "She's tough, if she survived Kagato she can survive this."   
Ryoko  
had never heard Tenchi lie before, and she could feel through their link that he   
was only  
trying to ease her pain.  
"But she's my mother." she cried. Aeka was almost crying from the feeling   
of sadness  
and pain she felt from Ryoko's end of the link.  
"She was correct, you do have to think about the baby." Aeka told her.  
Ryoko turned towards the direction she felt her mother was in and saw   
dozens of horrible  
creatures dropping from the sky. "I love you, mommy." she whispered and   
transmitted in her  
link with her mother at the same time.  
The two stood beside her to give her support as she took the little Cabbit   
from   
Sasami's arms. Ryoko lifted the little creature to her face and looked into her   
frightened   
eyes.  
"Ryu-Ohki, take us to Jurai." she said and threw the furry creature into   
the air. With  
a loud echoing "meow" the Ryu-Ohki transformed into her ship form. A yellow   
beam descended  
upon them and they were instantly teleported to the bridge of the Cabbit ship.  
"Fly my Ruy-Ohki, fly!" Ryoko cried as new tears fell from her eyes. In   
the distance  
Washu heard the loud cry of Ryu-Ohki's voice as she streaked through the sky. A   
bit closer  
but still in the distance she could also hear the sound of Darklings. She   
estimated there  
were hundreds of them.  
  
In space Ryu-Ohki raced passed several Darkling ships that hung in space   
around the  
massive asteroid. The ships prepared to turn and give chase but the Cabbit ship   
engaged her  
hyperdrive and was gone before they fire on it. A few of the waiting ships   
broke off from  
the group to give chase in hyperspace, but a newcomer suddenly arrive that   
caught their  
immediate attention. This new ship gave off a massive ethereal signature that   
was larger  
than anything they had seen before. It drew them in like a moth to a flame, and   
the ship  
began to open fire. The newcomer had a force field in place and the weapons   
fire from the  
Darkling ships was unable to penetrate it. The newcomer returned fire on its   
Darkling  
attackers and it had a completely different effect. One by one the newcomer   
destroyed  
every Darkling ship it exchange fire with, and before long there were no hositle   
ships  
left around the asteroid. On the bridge of the newcomer ship, Prince Orrin   
Quintarin  
checked his sensor readings and found Washu's life signature on the asteroid.   
He also  
detected a large number of Darkling signatures surrounding her.  
The scene brought back painful memories of the last time he lost someone   
who ment  
everything to him, and he was determined that this time the Darkness would take   
another  
loved one away from him.  
"I'm going down there!" Orrin shouted as he leaped from the  
helm station and ran from the bridge. He made his way to the outer edge of the   
inner hull  
of the ship and phased through into space. Instantly an arura of power   
surrounded Orrin's  
body and he floated away from the ship. In the distance the teltale sparking   
lights of more  
Darkling ships emerging from hyperspace could been seen. Orrin begins flying   
through space  
without any visible means of propulsion and plunged into the atmosphere of the   
planetoid.  
  
On the surface, Washu did not hear anymore sounds from the Darklings   
lurking about in  
the distance, and she this could be a good or bad thing. One; they were too far   
away  
for her to hear, or two; they knew where she was hiding and they were finding a   
way to sneak  
up on her. She was determined to find out which one, and knew she could not   
hide out in the  
boulders from the creatures forever because they could feel her life essence.   
She came out  
of her hiding place and started to run, but a pair of clawed hands grabbed her   
legs from  
beneath the loose soil on he planetoid surface. A massive Darkling rose out of   
the ground  
and loomed angrily over its intended prey. Several more creatures simply   
materialized around  
her out of nowhere, but she knew they were appearing out of sub-space.  
"This one is very young, her essence will be very sweet." the creature   
that held her  
legs said in a gravely voice.  
"Young yet also well developed for her age, lets have some fun first, then   
we feed."  
another suggested as he transformed into his normal humanoid form but without   
his clothing.  
"She looks like she is at least twelve or thirteen." yet another Darkling   
said.  
"Ya, but she is a well built twelve year old." the naked humanoid replied.  
This was not the way Wasbu had expected her life would end. The prospect   
of being  
violated by a horde on monsters and then having her life force sucked away a   
piece at a time  
was not the way she had wanted her last moments to proceed. She did not see any   
possible way  
out of the situation. One of the creatures slowly slid a shart talon from its   
finger under her  
dress to rip off her clothes. The monster did not have a chance to strip her as   
a blast of  
energy came out of nowhere and vaporized it where it loomed over her. The naked   
humanoid and  
the other Darlings looked in the direction the blast had come in total shock.  
A humanoid figure flew through the air towards them at high speed. Washu   
could see the  
outline of a force field surrounding the figure and for a few fleeting seconds   
she thought it  
was Tenchi or Ryoko who had come to her rescue. The Darklings could feel the   
immense ethereal  
power radiating from their attacker and they snarled in rage. The creatures   
responded to the  
attaack by launching their own energy blasts at the newcomer but the blasts were   
deflected  
effortlessly by his force field.  
The figure was humanoid, tall and had a male build. Washu tried to see   
the man's face,  
but he was shrouded by an arura of energy that made seeing his face difficult.   
The flying  
man threw energy blasts from his hands at the Darklings and each direct hit   
instantly  
vaporized them. Before long a Darkling that had been the naked humanoid was all   
that was  
left. The creature summoned an energy sword in its clawed hands and stood its   
ground. The  
flying man landed on the ground and dispelled his shield, but was still shrouded   
in an arura  
of power. He ignited an energy sword in his hands and made a gesture towards   
the Darkling as  
if to acknowledge the creature's challenge for a sword fight.  
The Darkling came at the man with its sword and made a clumby swipe for   
his head, but  
the man ducked under the attack and deftly sliced the creature on the chest   
multiple times. The  
Darkling howled in pain and rage and sung again, but this time a bit more   
competently now that it  
knew its opponent would not be an easy kill. The man perried each sword swipe   
with incredible  
speed, his movements were inhumanly fast, and his arms and legs seemed to blur   
as he moved.  
The man swept to the side leaving a faint trail in his wake and jabbed the   
Darkling in the  
side. Each wound in the creature released a stream of green energy instead of   
blood. The  
Darkling tried a few cunning attacks at the man's head and legs, but the sword   
fighter was  
too fast and much better skilled at sword fighting than the monster was. Soon,   
the man began  
to tire of this game, teleported behind the creature and releaved it of its   
existance by  
taking its head.  
Soon after the creature was dead Washu stood up and looked at her savior.   
The man was  
still surrounded by an arura of power, but the light began to fade and his face   
was revealed  
to her for the first time. Washu stood in absolute shock for a moment, she was   
wondering if  
she was seeing things because of the thin atmosphere, or if this was a   
hallucination brought  
on by having her life force slowly sucked away from her body. The man slowly   
walked up to her,  
she so wanted this to be real and she hoped beyond hope that he was real. He   
stopped in front  
of her and she hesitantly reached out her hand to his face. She could feel the   
warmth of his  
skin, he was older than he had been the last time she had seen him, and he had a   
scar on his  
right cheek that appeared to somehow be several years old.  
"I missed you so much." the man said in that same voice she remembered.  
Her defenses were weakening and her knees were starting to give out on   
her. The man  
reached out and touched her cheek with his hand. His touch sent delicious   
electricity through  
her skin, and the softness of his touch brought tears to her eyes.  
"Is it really you?" she asked.  
"Yes, my love, it is." Orrin replied. Washu could not contain herself any   
longer, she  
flung her arms around his neck and held him as tight as she could. She did not   
want to let him  
go again.  
"I thought I'd never see you again." she sobbed with her head resting on   
his shoulder.  
"I thought the same thing, but I am back and this time it is for good."   
Orrin told her.  
"I love you."  
Washu sobbed and her body began to shake. She was overcome with joy and   
all she could  
do was cry and hold the man whom she had grown to love close to her. Though   
they had only  
known each other for a few short weeks a powerful and loving relationship   
between them had  
strung to life between them. That seemed like a million years ago after all she   
had been  
through since he left to go back to his home universe.  
"You look, older." she commented as she looked at his face.  
"It has been a very long time since I have last seen you." he told her.  
"Its only been six months." Washu said.  
"For you, but because of the differences in temporal physics betwwen our   
two universes  
for me it has been over four hundred years." Orrin explained.  
Washu's eyes went wide with surprise and horror. Four hundred years had   
passed for Orrin  
since he last saw her face. He only appeared to be just a few years older than   
he had been  
the last time she had seen him, but she also noticed something else about him.   
For one thing,  
when he was on Earth he did not have the awesome power she had just witnessed   
him use against  
the Darkness, and second he was no longer carrying the StarGem Sword. She   
looked into his  
eyes and saw a slightly haunted look. She had seen that look in the eyes of   
other beings  
before, and it was usually after they had been the witness of unimaginable   
carnage and war.  
"What has happened to you?" she asked, her body trembling with fear not   
for herself but  
for the man she loved.  
"Far more than I am willing to reveal right now, and maybe its better that   
I never  
reveal the horrors I have witnessed." he told her. Washu hugged him tighter and   
Orrin   
retrned her embrace with the same vigor.  
In the distance a faint sound reached Orrin's sensitive ears. He lookied   
up and  
scanned the horizon. "More Darklings are coming." he said.  
Washu gasped as she realized she was being lifted into the air. A force   
field bubble  
sprange to life around them both and they raced away from the surface of the   
planetoid. They  
flew towards the wreckage of the Yagami.  
"Where are your friends and your daughter?" Orrin asked.  
"I made them so ahead without me." Washu told him.  
"A gallant gesture, but not a wise one." he told her.  
"It was either that or we'd all be dead." she replied.  
Orrin changed their direction and they soared into the cloudy sky above   
the surface of  
planetoid. Washu watched with fascination as they rose above the clouds and   
beyond the thin  
atmosphere. They raced through the vacumm of space and in the distance she   
could see an   
amazing looking starship. The vessel looked organic and sleek like a sea   
creature from some  
exotic alien ocean which was designed for fast swimming. They were halfway to   
the ship when  
a Darkling ship materialized next to them and opened fire on them. Washu   
marvelled as the  
massive energy blast splashed harmlessly off Orrin's shield. The ship they were   
racing towards  
turned and opened fire with withering firepower. Twin pulse cannons from two   
winglets on either  
side of the ship cut loose as a beam weapon fired from the nose of the ship.   
The weapons fire  
penetrated the shields of the Darkling ship in seconds and tore into the armor   
hull of the  
ship. The beam weapon holed the ship through and through, internal explosions   
could be seen  
flasbing through the hules in the armor plating, and seconds later the entire   
vessel became a  
rapidly expanding sphere of gas and debris.  
Once inside the ship, Orrin dispelled his shield and lead Washu by the   
hand through  
several twisting corridors. Before long they reached the bridge of the ship and   
Washu  
looked around in wounderous fascination at all the advanced technology was she   
seeing. Much of  
the technology she was seeing was equal to and sometimes beyond anything she had   
ever  
developed. She also knew without having to scan the ship with her instruments   
that the ship  
was build using the decipines of Ethereealology.  
Washu's attention was immediately caught by two other people sitting on   
the bridge. A  
young man was seated at what looked like a pilot's station which had controls   
for steering  
the ship, and a young girl sat at what appeared to be a communications console.  
"Dad, we have multiple incoming Darkling cruisers, and long range sensors   
are detecting  
a large fleet of class four ships." the young girl said.  
"Kryton, plot an evasive course to the planet Jurai using our archived   
star charts of his  
univeerse." Orrin said outloud. "Use space fold to jump from way point to way   
point to keep  
them from detecting our destination."  
"I already anticipated this, setting the course now." a familar voice with   
a Britsh-like  
accent said. "It is good to see you again, Mistress Washu."  
"I see you've made a few modifications to Kryton, and a few others things   
have happened."  
Wash said and gestured towards the young girl who called Orrin "Dad".  
"This is my daughter, Yuko, and the young man at the helm is my son   
Darius." Orrin said.  
"Hello." Darius said.  
"Hi." Yuko said.  
Washu was intrigued by this revelation but was not surprised that Orrin   
had met someone  
else during the time he had been gone. Over four hundred years had passed since   
he last saw  
her afterall.  
"Where is their mother?" she asked.  
"She went to a better place a long time ago." he replied with sadness in   
his eyes.  
"I'm sorry." she said softly and squeezed his hand.  
"Uh, Dad, isn't she a little young." Darius commented. "Aren't you   
robbing the cradle."  
The young man had a sly smile on his face, he knew full well from his   
father's stories  
that Washu was much older than she appeared.  
"Ya, it would feel pretty wierd calling somebody Mom who is younger than I   
am."  
Yuko said as she tried to suppress a laugh.  
"You got two real comedians here." Washu said with a smile. Orrin just   
looked at his  
two children with disbelief and surprise. The look turned to a sly grin. "I   
seen despite all  
my attempts you two still inherited your mother's sense of humor."  
Washu transformed from her child-like form to her adult form and Darius's   
eyes went  
wide with surprise. "Your beautiful, I mean really really beautiful." he said   
in awe.  
"Thank you, and if you think I'm beautiful you should see my daughter."   
Washu said.  
"But don't get any ideas, she's already married."  
Darius made a face and snapped his fingers in a gesture of defeat and Yuko   
just chuckled  
out loud.  
"At this speed and course we'll reach Jurai in two and a half hours."   
Orrin said.  
"Ryoko and the others are in Ryu-Ohki, we'll be thirty to fifteen minutes   
behind them."  
Washu said.  
Orrin wrapped his arms around Washu's supple waiste and pulled her in for   
a kiss. The  
contact was soft and filled both of them with an immense feeling of love. When   
they parted  
the mood was suddenly shattered by Darius spouting out, "Hey you two, get a   
room!"  
"Lets go somewhere private so we don't bother my oversexed son." Orrin   
said.  
"More like undersexed, I've been in space so long I've almost forgotten   
what a beautiful  
woman looks like." Darius said.  
"Hey, what am I chopped liver." Yuko said with a hurt expression.  
"You don't count, your my sister." Darius said.  
"I'll get you for that in our next cyberlink game, watch your back." she   
said dangerously.  
"Oh please, I frag you ten times more than you frag me at deathmatch."   
Darius said.  
"True, but I'm better at Capture the Flag than you are." Yuko replied with   
a smile.  
  
The two lovers left the youngsters on the bridge to continue their   
conversation, and  
they walked hand in hand to Orrin's private quarters. The door opened as Orrin   
reached it and  
the lights inside activated, but Kryton though to turn them down to a romanticly   
low level. The  
living starship also turned on some soft music in the background. Soft ambient   
techno beats,  
smooth and romantic, started to play quietly in the room.  
"Looks like Kryton already anticipated what was on our minds." Orrin said   
as the door  
closed behind them. They kissed each other passionate, holding each other   
clsoe. Before long  
they were under the covers in Orrin's bed holding each other tight as their   
bodies moved rythmicly  
to the mood inspiring music. Waves of pleasure washed through them, every   
touch, every kiss,  
ever sudtle movement brought on an inbelievably wonderful sensation. Washu   
collapsed onto Orrin's  
bare chest in exhaustion, sweat beading on her body, and her breath came in   
quick gasps. Orrin  
held her tight and he felt the soft tug of tireness grab at the edges of his   
consciousness  
that always appeared after loving making.  
"I missed you so much." Washu said with her head resting on his chest.  
"My work back home is done, I'm here to stay with you forever." he told   
her.  
Tears of joy fell down Washu's face and she hugged him tightly. "We have   
a family now." he  
told her.  
"I've always had a family, but now its a complete family because your   
here." Washu replied,  
and they kissed each other again letting all their longing and love for each   
other pass between  
them with each touch.  
  
Ryu-Ohki raced through hyperspace at full speed. The Cabbit ship was the   
fastest vessel  
around, even faster than the Yagami had been, and only ships of Jurai could   
match her speed. At  
the helm Ryoko sat with her hands on the twin trackball controls that allowed   
her to steer the  
ship. She watched the holographic instrument panels to make sure that they were   
still on  
course for Jurai and that they were not being followed. The problem was that   
they were being  
followed, and the vessels that followed them had Darkling signatures. Without   
Washu she was  
not certain, but the new programming added to Ryu-Ohki's neurol matrix did   
indicate that they  
were Darkling.  
Ryoko still felt the presence of her mother in the back of her mind. On   
the other end  
the link was being blocked off, but before that happened she first felt terror   
coming from  
her mother and then incredible joy. Tears of happiness fell down her face   
because she knew  
from the link that her mother was alive, but she was sure why she had the   
feeling of joy.  
"When we reach Jurai space I will contact Father and let him know what is   
happening."  
Aeka was saying to the others, and Ryoko realized that she had been   
concentrating so hard that  
she did not hear them.  
"Maybe he'll send some ships to escort us home." Sasami said.  
"Kiyone." Mihoshi sobbed from across the room. The blonde office was   
sitting on the  
shiny floor with her knees up to her chest, her arms were wrapped around her   
knees, and she  
was rocking back and forth. She had been like this since her initial shock over   
the crash  
of the Yagami subsided.  
"Poor thing." Tenchi commented.  
"I wish there was something we could do for her." Sasami said.  
"Mihoshi must be allowed to work this through in her own way and in her   
own time."  
Katsuhito said.  
"Without Washu to give us her scientific guidance this is going to be   
hard." Tenchi  
said.  
"She's still alive, I don't know where, but I do know that she is happy   
where she is."  
Ryoko said from her helm station.  
"She is?" Tenchi asked in surprise.  
"Yes, I feel her on the other end of my link with her." Ryoko told him.  
Sasami clasped her hands in front of her face in a gesture that looked so   
sweet and innocent.  
"That is so wonderful, then we will meet up with her again." she cheered.  
Tenchi looked down at the shiny floor and sighed. "I wish I could say the   
same for Dad  
and Kiyone." he said. Aeka placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to give him   
some encouragement  
through their link.  
"We'll reach Jurai in two hours, we'll be in standard communications range   
with the Royal  
Palace in an hour, Princess." Ryoko told them.  
This was it, they were about to complete their journey to Jurai, but they   
were seperated,  
and nobody knew what has been happening on Jurai during all this time.  
__________  
Chapter Seven: Chaos Jurai  
  
Kagato's way of life had been abruptly changed forever by becoming a   
Darkling, but  
not just any Darkling...he was a Regent. Not ever having to ear solid foods   
anymore was  
one of the things he had to get used to, but he was still able to enjoy those   
things of  
life he had before his transformation. The sweet necter of a young girl's life   
force  
was like honey to him, but instead of savoring every morsal of her essense he   
took what  
he needed right then and there and left the victim to die or recover to be feed   
upon  
later. It did not take a great deal of effort for him to get used to this new   
life,   
but what did take him some time to get used to was the unusual tastes of the   
Regis.  
As his latest meal was being carried away unconscious a pair of Darklings   
dragged  
another young woman into their chambers. She was kicking and scream, shouted   
every  
obscene word imaginable. The Darklings forced her to lay down flat and they   
manicled her  
to a special device on the floor. Her lower torso was sloped upwards and her   
legs were  
locked forced open to spread her wide. One of the two creatures grapped her   
clothing, which  
consisted of almost nothing more than a black suit of boby armor that resembled   
a single  
piece swimsuit, and ripped it off of her body to exposer her nakedness. Kagato   
looked at  
her enraged and frightened face and immediately recognized her.  
"Sakura." he said.  
"You know this morsal?" the Regis asked.  
"Yes, I have had dealing with her in the past." Kagato told her.  
"This one's essence of strong and young, her mind corrupt and her thoughts   
pervurse."  
the Regis said. "What do you say of her?"  
"She is loyal if given the proper motivation and assuming the pay is to   
her liking." he  
told her.  
"The time to make another Regis is quickly approaching." the Regis said.   
"This one  
may prove useful to us in that reguard, but for now I will savor her."  
"Please, must you play with your food." Kagato said with a smirk on his   
face. The Regis  
almost laughed at the joke, and then walked over to where Sakura was strapped   
down.  
"What the fuck do you people want from me?" Sakura shouted at them. "Your   
Kagato,  
aren't you, I thought you were dead."  
"The repoorts of my death were great exaggerated." he replied before   
sitting down in a  
chair to watch  
The Regis kneeled down between Sakura's legs and started to softly carress   
the insides of  
her thighs.  
"Get the fuck away from me you dike!" Sakura screamed. "Get your fuck'n   
hands off me!"  
"But Sakura, you enjoy the love of women and men both." the Regis said,   
probing her  
mind.  
"What the fuck did you do, blow up my ship so this skank can get her   
thrills." Sakura  
shouted at Kagato.  
Kagato said nothing but what Sakura said next made him stand up bolt   
upright. "Your  
brother tried to fuck'n rape me before he died."  
Anger seeth in his eyes as he looked down on her. "My brother is dead."   
he said.  
"Yes, Ryoko killed him in the Dead Zone." Sakura said.  
"So they were in the Dead Zone as you predicted." the Regis said.  
"Your looking for Ryoko?" Sakura asked. "I might be able to help you find   
her."  
"We already have, but she eluded us temporarity." the Regis said. "It   
will only be  
a matter of time, and yes you can help us, but not in a way you might think."  
Kagato watched in pervurse fasination as the Regis lowered her head and   
Sakura's  
eyes went wide, she screamed out every swear word immaginable. A faint blue   
light began to  
glimmer in the room and Sakura screamed. It was a scream that was half form   
unbarable  
agony and half from unbelieaable extacy. Her body writhed and convulse in the   
manicles that  
held her, her head whipped from side to side, and she screamed as if a massive   
orgasm was  
washing through her body. It went like this for ten minutes, and when the light   
faded  
Sakura's body collapsed. She was covered in sweat and was breathing heavily,   
she tried to  
raise her head, but she was so tired she fell immediately unconscious.  
The Regis sat back up, her face wet, and smiled at Kagato. "This one was   
indeed very  
suculant and sweet." A Darkling handed her a towel and she dried her face.  
"Leave this one here, when she recovers I have something special planned   
for her."  
the Regis said as she stood up, and the Darklings nodded before they left.  
"What is wrong Kagato, you look haggard?" the Regis asked.  
"Must you always do that?" he asked her.  
"Its a part of what we are, our desires are amplified, and for this little   
one it will  
be the same when she becomes a Regis." the Regis said.  
"Still worried, I feel you are trouble by your brother's death." the Regis   
continued.  
"Revenge is a feast we Darklings savor most of all."  
Kagato looked at her and a fire raged in his eyes. "I will find her and   
make her pay  
for his death." he said, and the Darkling part of his mind conjured up all sorts   
of pervurse  
ways to end her life. The Regis felt this in his mind and she smiled at him.  
"Good, good, let the hate consume you." she said. "It will make her death   
that more  
delicious when you take her."  
"Assuming we can find her." he said. "We lost several ships to this   
Champion of Light,  
and now they could be anywhere in the galaxy."  
"In time we will find them, but for now we must accelerate our efforts on   
Jurai."  
the Regis said. "All is going according to plan, very soon he planet Jurai will   
be ready for  
us to rape and pillage and the Juraian people will only have themselves to   
blame."  
  
At no time in the entire ancient history of the planet Jurai prior to the   
arrive of the  
Goddess Tsunami had the planet been engaged in war with itself. Previous to the   
arrival of  
Tsunami the people of Jurai had been war like and savage. Their wars against   
one another were  
brutal and it was clear that they were heading towards an existance were peace   
would be  
impossible. However, Tsunami arrived and became the Tree of Light, she   
enlightened those who  
happened upon her tree, and her arura that touched them gave them an extended   
lifespan and also  
healed diseases and sickness. In time, Tsunami had choosen from among the   
rulers of the people  
one who was worthy and made him Emperor of Jurai. This was beginning of the   
Jurai royal family,  
and they had been in power for tens of thousands of years. At not time in their   
history had  
there ever been a civil war or conflict between the people and the government.   
That, however,  
was changing rapidly.  
Several weeks after the initial report from the GP was received, Emperor   
Asuza began to  
notice something dark and sinister brewing at the edges of his empire.   
Scientist on Jurai had  
found a way to break through the interference that had blacked out the planet   
from the rest  
of the galaxy temporarily, but even so all attempts to reach his daughters via   
communicator  
had failed. Ships of the GP that patroled the area where their ship should have   
been did not  
see any sign of them. As the weeks went by and turned into months the Emperor,   
his Empress,  
and his Queen feared that they would not see their son or daughter ever again.   
Asuza did not  
want to give up hope for his son and daghters safe return to Jurai, and he so   
wanted to speak  
with Tenchi.  
His concerns over his missing family members had to pushed aside when   
reports bagan to  
arrive in the court of increased violence in the streets. Crime and violence on   
Jurai commited  
by citizens of Jurai was almost non-existant. Crime on Jurai was lower than on   
any planet in  
the Galactic Union, and fighting in the streets was unheard of. Everyday new   
reports arrived  
at his desk in his private office where he reviewed important documents from the   
Senate and  
the Holy Council. Everyday they became more disterbing, more violent, and worse   
still a   
growing number of people began to place blame on the Royal Family for it all.  
Two months of this went by and still now word from his family, but reports   
from the   
Secret Police began to arrive of a covert neo-political movement on Jurai. This   
movement wanted  
to removed the Emperor of Jurai from power and place their own leader into power   
in the  
government. Laws for freedom of speech allowed anyone to say what they wanted   
about the royal  
family, but this open display of unwarrented hatred of the royal family filled   
Asuza with   
dread.  
"How large is this organization?" he asked the head of the Secret Police   
who uncovered  
the covert group. It was his first audience with the new head of the Jurai   
Secret Poilice, he  
was a man name Zerlova, a tall young Juraian who had formerly been in the   
military.  
"They have eight-hundred members thus far, and the ear of several members   
of the Senate."  
Zerlova said.  
"Only eight-hundred?" Asuza said. "Who in the Senate are they in regular   
contact with?"  
Zerlova touched a button on his PDA and a holographic screen appeared in   
front of the  
Emperor's throne. "Senators Tetsuo Troda, Vorego Yogora, and Gatro Zello, each   
are prominent  
members of the Senate and represent some of the largest provinces of Jurai." he   
said.  
"I am aware of this, but what amount of influence do they have with them?"   
the Emperor  
asked.  
"My investigation has found that a sizable amount of credits were   
transfered from the  
Senators' personal accounts to a private account held by a man named Hakuda   
Asrovass." Zerlova  
said as a picture of the man appeared on the screen. "He appears to be either   
the leader or  
in a position of leadership with the group. I have my best undercover agent   
attempting to  
infiltrate them now so we can have someone on the inside. The group holds   
regular meetings  
at this dweeling in the capital city every other day. It is not clear if they   
possess any  
arms and pose any real danger to the Empire, but they are growing in influence   
and are working  
to recruit new members daily. The Senators have not openly admitted to being in   
dialogue with  
the group, but as their movement grows I fear it will only be a matter of time   
before they do."  
  
Special Agent Duncan Kirasawa of the Jurai Secret Police was accustomed to   
infiltrating  
subversive groups, but not when they were made of up citizens of Jurai. He   
walked the streets  
of the capital city dressed in a standard workman's outfit.e looked like any   
other ordinary  
citizen making his way home from a day of work. His keen senses and training   
told him that he  
was being watched from the crowd. He stopped at a roadside cafe and ordered a   
drink of Sapri,  
a drink similar to coffee from Earth, and took a newsreader from his pocket to   
make like he  
was reading the days news. He spotted his observer without much effort, a young   
man in a   
long coat, and decided to stay where he was to see if the young man intended to   
approach him.  
As if on cue he watched the man approach his table from out of the corner   
of his eye. The  
young man took a seat across from him, looked around somewhat nervously, and   
took out his own  
newsreader. Several minutes passed without the young man saying a word, so   
Duncan decided to  
set out some bait.  
"Damn, this crime spree is totally out of hand and the Emperor doesn't   
seem to give a  
damn at all." Duncan said.  
The young man looked up from his newsreader and said, "All the Emperor   
cares about is  
the credits in his pocket, and the pockets of his so called Royal Family."  
"Sometimes I wish we had somebody in power who really cared about the   
people." Duncan  
said. "I wish there was something I could do."  
The man leaned forward. "Maybe there is something you can do." he said.  
"What do you mean?" Duncan asked with mock interest on his face.  
"I am a part of a special interest group that is dedicatd to correcting a   
grievous  
error in our current government." he said.  
"What error is that?" Ducan asked.  
"Our reliance on a royal family that cares nothing for the people of   
Jurai, our continued  
faith in a so called goddess who has not shown herself for hundreds of years,   
and the supression  
of our people by a council of so called holy men who only seek to fill their   
pockets with out hard  
earned credits." the man said.  
Duncan was stunned by this last part. Not only was this movement aginst   
the royal family  
but there also against the goddess Tsunami. He did not let his emotions show on   
his face however  
as he sat forward and whispered, "Where do I sign up?"  
  
The young man introduced himself as Gerro, he head Duncan to a groundcar,   
and they drove  
around the city for several hours talking about the government. It was getting   
close to sunset  
when Gerro stopped the groundcar in an industrialized section of the city.   
Duncan opened the  
side door on the groundcar, stood up, and looked around. Tall manufacturing   
towers and domed  
processing centers could be seen in the distance. Nearby there was only one   
building that  
looked like an ordianry dwelling.  
"Where are we?" Duncan asked.  
"Come this way, I want you to meet some friends of mine." Gerro said.  
Gerro walked towards the house with Duncan following behind him. As they   
reached the house  
the front door opened and several people armed with type four plasma rifles   
spilled out.  
"Who's this?" one of the men asked.  
"New blood, taking him to see Hakuda." Gerro said.  
"Check him first." the man said to the others. Immediately the other   
gunmen searched  
Duncan's pockets and patted him down.  
"He's clear." another man said. He pulled out a small device that looked   
like a pen. The  
device popped open to reveal a small folding display screen. "His name is   
Duncan Kirasawa, he's  
an employee of the Gensao Mining Company. This says he's an engineer."  
Duncan took his ID wand back from the man and followed Gerro into the   
house. So much for  
our intellegence telling us they weren't armed, Duncan thought to himself. He   
noticed that the  
class four plasma rifles were military-grade with a disintegration setting.   
Those types of  
arms were illegal for personal citizens to possess. Inside the house Duncan   
found that most  
everyone carried a sidearm that was military-grade. They stopped in a large   
room filled with  
young teens and children. A young woman was speaking to the group on a makeship   
stage, her  
words were riling up the assembled group of youngsters.  
"They spread lies about Tsunami, they tell us she is there, but we know   
the truth that she  
has left Jurai a long time ago." the woman said. "She is not with us because   
the Royal Family of  
Jurai, and because of them she does have Jurai in her favor anymore, but we now   
have a new   
guardian to watch over us. We have a new protector to watch over our world, but   
we must first  
purge our world of the corrupt disease of the Royal Family. It is they who have   
ruined our  
world, it is they who suppress us, it is they who maintain the lies that keep us   
enslaved to a  
false religion. But, fear not, for the time is quickly coming when the eveil of   
the Royal  
Family will be purged from Jurai, they will be punished for their crimes, and we   
will finally  
be free!"  
The croud cheered and raised their fists and weapons into the air above   
their heads. The  
woman climbed down from the stage and the crowd started to chant a name,   
"Hakuda! Hakuda!"  
"This way, Hakuda will see you now." Gerro told him. Duncan was lead into   
an ajacent room  
which was dimly lighted. A shadowy figure sat in one corner of the room.  
"Welcome, I am Hakuda, I understand you are disenchanted with the way the   
government is  
currently run." the man said. His voice seemed odd to Duncan, somehow hollow   
and distant.  
"I am, things have been falling apart lately." Duncan lied.  
"It is because the Royal Family care only for themselves." the shadowy man   
said. "They  
no longer have the anointing of Tsunami to justify their power, so they are now   
using subversive  
tactics to maintain their power over Jurai."  
Duncan knew all of this was a total farce. He knew the Tree of Light,   
Tsunami's tree, was  
still in the Royal Gardens at the palace and that the tree still had power.  
"I heard that speech outside about a new guardian of Jurai." Duncan said.  
The shadowy man was seated in a lotus position on the floor of the dark   
room. Duncan  
watched as the man floated into the air and hovered towards him. He came into   
the light and  
Duncan did his best to suppress his surprise. The man who came into the light   
possessed the  
likeness of the long lost First Prince of Jurai, Prince Yosho. His eyes were   
glowing with  
an inner light and Duncan could sense an arura of power radiating from his body.  
"I am that protector, and in time my followers and I will purge this world   
of the evils  
of the Royal Family." he said. "Will you help me, I have many followers now but   
we do not  
have anyone with engineering skills in our group. Your skills could be   
invaluable to us."  
"Yes." Duncan said. A smile came across the false Yosho's face.   
  
Three days would pass before Duncan was allowed out of the house. He had   
atteneded  
meetings to indoctrinations him into the group. He was escorted on a tour of   
the house, and he began  
to realize that the inside of the building was larger than the outside. He   
realized it must be  
a subspace pocket they were using to do this. In different rooms of the house   
he watched as  
hundreds of people sorted through different weapons and attended classes on how   
to set bombs and  
subversive military tactics. When it was time for him to leave and return to   
his home he had  
seen more than what was expected. This was not just a small political group, it   
was an all-out   
rebelion of religious fanatics following a man who looked like Yosho and set   
himself up as a god.  
He carried an arm band in his pocket that he had to wear to meeting to   
identify himself as a member. He made his way through the city using the   
underground transport tubes in attempt to   
evade anyone who might be following him to observe his actions. Eventaully he   
made his way to a   
meeting spot that was preassigned as his place of contact with the agency. He   
spotted the agent   
that was his contact and immediately exchanged codewords with him.  
"I need to get in touch with Chairman Zerlova and the Emperor at once." he   
told the agent.  
"We've got a very serious problem."  
  
Zerlova and Duncan arrived at the lonely house in the industrial sector   
of the city  
with a large contingency of soldiers. The men were all armed with wooden   
weapons made from  
the branches of Trees of Jurai. They appeared to be stalves for hand to hand   
combat, but  
they possessed the ability to launch plasma blasts at a great distance. Their   
body armor  
was also wooden, but the wood was also from Tree of Jurai and was harder than   
any metal and  
was lighter also.  
They stormed the front door of the house and blasted open the door before   
spilling into  
the building. After hearing about the enormous cache of weapons inside they   
expected to face  
a furious fire fight. Instead, the soldiers came face to face with just an   
empty room inside  
the small building. Zerlova and Duncan walked inside, and Duncan looked around   
in total  
surprise.  
"Where are they Agent Kirasawa?" Zerlova asked.  
"They wee here, sir." he said.  
A soldier holding a small device in his hand came over to them and handed   
the device over  
to Zerlova. "You might want to see these readings, sir." the soldier told him.  
Chairman Zerlova looked the device over and hrmphed. "It appears you were   
correct, they  
were here, but now they are gone." he said. "These readings indicate that a sub   
space pocket  
had been here for some time. It looks like they got wise to your true   
identity."  
"If that is so, why did they let me go?" Duncan asked.  
"I'm not certain, but if they are as dangerous as you say its possible   
they might not  
want to attract too much negitive attention yet." Zerlova said.  
"They'll probably be even harder to find this time, I was lucky to find   
them as quickly as  
I did the first time." Duncan admitted.  
"Don't look at this as a failure, Agent Kirasawa." Zerlova said smiling at   
him. "Without  
your efforts we would know next to nothing about their true motives."  
They all exited the hosue and the soldiers sealed it with a portable force   
field device.  
One soldier wrote down the access code that unlocked the force field and handed   
it to Zerlova.  
"This should prevent them from using the same house over again." he said.  
Before long the two men were in a ground car headed back to the   
headquarters of the  
Secret Police. "Where do go from here, I'm certain you will want me   
reassigned." Duncan said.  
"Not so fast, you haved first hand contact with these people, so I am   
putting you in  
charge of the investigation." Zerlova told him. "You will want to start   
assembling a team of  
agents to work with you as soon as possible."  
Duncan Kirasawa had a broad smile on his face when he replied, "Yes sir."  
  
Somewhere out in space the Regis lounged in her private room she shared   
with Kagato  
and looked longingly at the young woman who sat in the middle of the room naked.   
Sakura was  
shackled to the floor by a chain attached to her left leg and was stripped down   
to nothing. She  
looked at the Regis in wide eyed horror, she lost her rough and tough exterior   
and was now  
submissive and quiet. The Regis had enjoyed herself so much the first time she   
played with  
her she decided to play with her some more, and after a few days Sakura was not   
the same  
person she had been. Even Kagato had sucummed to the overwhelming desires   
brought on by his  
new Darkling personality. Sakura had been kept in her own room at the time when   
he walked  
in, grabbed her, threw her to the floor, and took her on the spot. Try as she   
might Sakura  
was unable to resist Kagato's immense Darkling enhanced strenght, but soon she   
was screaming  
as the man both ravished her and feed on her life force at once.  
"Why did you let that secret agent live after you sensed who he was?" the   
Regis asked.  
"I felt it was better that he lives to let them know what they are up   
against." Kagato  
said. "Besides they will not be concentrating on dealing with Hakuda's group   
and less on  
looking for threats from elsewhere. By the time they realize their mistake it   
will be too  
late for them."  
"Crude but effective." the Regis said.  
"What do we do now?" Kagato asked. He looked at Sakura, his eyes rovered   
over the  
elegent curves of her nude body and that same powerful desire began to rise in   
him again.  
"I believe our little pet has been properly prepared." she told him as she   
stood up  
walked up to the chained woman. "But if you'd like to endulge yourself first I   
can wait."  
"Oh, by all means." Kagato said gesturing from the Regis to Sakura.  
The Regis smiled wickedly and kneeled down in front of Sakura. The   
woman's eyes went  
wide in horror. "Please, no more, no more!" she cried.  
The Regis reached out and careesed Sakura's facen and sbe immediately   
calmed down. The  
Regis touched not only her skin but her mind as well calming the young woman   
down. All of the  
unspeakable things she had done to Sakura had been in an effort to break down   
the woman's  
mental defenses, and she succeeded. "Shhhh!" she said. "Be at ease my pretty   
plaything, I  
have choosen you for the greatest gift that our kind bestow upon any mortal."  
"A-a-a-a gift." Sakura stammered nervously.  
"I have choosen you Sakura to accept the purest seed of our race, I have   
choosen you  
to be a Regis." the Regis told her.  
Forcing Sakura to obey her will, the Regis gently pused Sakura to the   
floor and then  
straightened out her body. She crawled over the woman's body, her tounge   
probing about  
playfully. When she was positioned over Sakura's head she straddled the woman's   
face. Sakura  
reacted by trying to free herself, but the Regis forced herself over Sakura's   
mouth. The  
woman hit and clawed in vain at the Regis to make her move.  
"Relax child, you are about to be reborn." the Regis told her. The Regis'   
face took  
on an expression as she was starting to experience an orgasm. In reality a tiny   
crearture  
was passing through her body seeking an exit. The Regis groaned with pleasure   
as the tiny  
creature passed from her body and entered Sakura's mouth. One inside its new   
homw the  
creature sought out the place it needed to go in order to survive in its now   
environment.  
Sakura writhed about on the floor and her screen were muffled from between   
the Regis'  
legs as the Darkling Regis larva wriggled through her body and made its way   
towards her  
brain stem. When the tiny creature was settle, Sakura collapsed and the Regis   
stood up  
to release her.  
Sakura stood up and looked around with new eyes for first time. It was   
too soon for  
all the changes to immediately take effects yet, but already her eyes were   
starting to glow.  
"Welcome my child, how do you feel?" the Regis asked.  
"Incredible." Sakura said in a voice that was filled with rapture.  
"You have been reborn, and now you msut feed." the Regis told her. On cue   
a Darkling  
carried to people into the room, a man and a woman. The man was older with a   
mustache,  
and the woman had long teal hair. Kagato recognized them immediately.  
"Tenchi's father and one of his companions." he said.  
"Yes, I felt the Champion of Light nearing them so I decided on a new   
strategy to deal with  
him." the Regis said. "The pretty young one will be our new Regis' first meal,   
but the older  
one will be the instrument of my plan."  
"What could he possibly do, he is human and old." Kagato said.  
"I will make him one of us, what better way to destroy Tenchi Masaki than   
to use his  
own father to kill him." the Regis said with a sly smile.  
"I'll never harm a hair on my son's head you monster." Noboyuki shouted.  
The Regis walked up to him where he hung off the ground held by his   
Darkling captor.  
"You will have no choice, you will be one of us, and you will obey me without   
question." she  
told him.  
"Get away from him you bitch!" Kiyone screamed.  
"Yes, I sense you have feelings for this pretty one." the Regis said as   
she probed  
Noboyuki's mind. It was an easy task since he was never trained in how to   
resist such attacks.  
"If you please me I will give this one to you as your personal plaything."   
she said. "But  
first, she will nourish our newly born Regis." The Regis turned to Sakura and   
she motioned  
for the woman to step forward. As she did the chain that held her to the floor   
snapped like  
tin foil as she moved. The Regis walked her over to Kiyone who was starting to   
kick at the  
creature that held her and Noboyuki.  
"Aren't they cute when they resist." the Regis whispered into Sakura's   
ear.  
Sakura was unable to resist the urge in her body for energy, she grabbed   
Kiyone from the  
Darkling creature that held her and flung her to the floor. She leaped on top   
of her and  
her lips locked onto Kiyone's mouth that was about to scream. Noboyuki turned   
her head  
away and tears fell down his eyes, a blue glow filled the room, and the sound of   
Kiyone's  
muffled cried tore into him worse than any knife blade ever could.  
The Regis crabbed Noboyuki's face with her hand in grip that was as tight   
as a vise. "Watch  
them, isn't it beautiful?" the Regis asked as she forced his face towards where   
Kiyone was  
being attacked.  
"Your a cruel, hideous monster and when my son finds me you will all go to   
hell where you  
belong!" Noboyuki screamed into her face.  
"What do you know of hell, Noboyuki?" the Regis asked. "You know nothing   
of hell."  
Immediately she projected millions of years of memories and images into   
his mind. Thousands  
upon thousands of atrocities committed by the Darkness upon billions of   
unsuspecting life forms  
from tens of thousands of different realities. The streams of horrific images   
became too much  
for his mind and Noboyuki screamed, "Please stop, stop!"  
"In time you will revel in those images and take pleasure from them." she   
said.  
"I'll never take pleasure in the suffering of others!" he spat.  
The Regis moved her face close to his. "I can guarantee it that you   
will." she said, and  
before he could anything she pressed her lips to his. The Regis forced her   
tongue into his  
mouth. A tiny creature that moved like a tiny droplet of saliva dropped from   
the Regis' tongue  
and slipped down Noboyuki's throat. The Regis broke her kiss with Noboyuki, he   
was about to  
shouted an obscenity at her, but his body was soon wracked with agony as the   
Darkling larva   
works its way towards his brain.  
"Birth is always a violent and painful experience." the Regis said as she   
watched Noboyuki  
flailed about and screamed in pain. When it was over the Darkling that held him   
let go and  
Noboyuki fell to the floor in a fetus position. The door opened and a second   
Darkling entered  
with a young girl of perhaps twelve or thirteen years of age. She was stripped   
naked, bound  
hand and foot in cloth cords, and her mouth was gagged.  
Sakura stood up from Kiyone who was now unconscious but still alive. She   
sensed that the  
Regis did not want her to die just yet, so she released her hold on the woman so   
she could  
recover for later. Noboyuki stood up, there was no hint of pain on his face,   
and he looked  
about the room. "I understand, I understand." he said.  
"I told you that you would." the Regis said.  
The second Darkling unbound the young girl and pulled off her mouth gag.   
She cried out  
in horror and scrambled across the room and hid herself in a corner like a   
frightened animal.  
"A gift for our new brother, I know how much you like them young." the   
Regis whispered  
into Noboyuki's ear. She had probed into his mind and found his Hentai   
tendencies to her  
liking. "Take all of her if you wish, she is yours."  
Moving with a speed that was physically impossible for the human Noboyuki,   
the newly  
born Darkling Noboyuki sprinted across the room to where the young girl kneeled   
on the floor  
in fear. Her eyes went wide as Noboyuki grabbed her, ripped off his own   
clothes, and started  
to rape her in the middle of the room. The girl screamed as a blue aurora   
surrounded the  
both of them, Noboyuki slowly piece by piece devoured the young girl's life   
force. The  
please he got from consuming her essence was almost on par with the please he   
received from  
her body. When the light diminished Noboyuki stood up from the corpse of the   
young girl, but  
now the body was wrinkled and brown. She looked as if she had been dead for   
several days,  
and her skin had shrunk so mush her ribs and pelvis bone could been seen.  
Noboyuki himself was also very different in appearance. Gone was his   
slightly graying  
hair and small wrinkles around his eyes denoting age. His face radiated youth,   
and he looked  
like he did in the photos he had of himself and Achika when they were teenage   
lovers. He  
appeared to by physically eighteen or nineteen years of age.  
"I see you consumed all of her, young Darklings are ravenous when they are   
first born."  
the Regis said. She turned to the Darkling that had brought the young girl in.   
"Dispose of  
this trash." she ordered and the creature bowed low in obedience.  
"What do want me to do, Mistress?" Noboyuki asked in a young voice.  
"I want you to find your son, and put an end to his existence." the Regis   
replied.  
"As you command." he said and his eyes began to glow with an Inner Light.  
  
The activities of Hakuda's group were being closely monitored, by Duncan   
and his newly  
assembled team of special agents, by the Secret Police and military. It had   
taken three weeks  
to find them again, it appeared they changed their recruitment style also, thus   
confirming  
the belief that they discovered his true identity somehow. At this time the   
only real  
crime that the group was know to have committed was possession of illegal arms,   
but as Duncan's  
team watched them they could easily add terrorism to that list. Hakuda's   
followers carried out  
a series of surgical terrorist attacks against government office all around the   
city. It took  
all the resources that Duncan would appropriate to deal with each problem, but   
as each  
event occurred it was becoming clear that Hakuda's group was always one step   
ahead of them.  
"They set off bombs in five key government offices in the past six days   
and we have been  
completely powerless to stop them." Duncan explained to Chairman Zarlova and   
Emperor Asuza.  
"Without someone on the inside there is no way to know what their next move will   
be, and if  
they found out I was an agent what will keep them from identifying anyone else   
as an agent."  
The images of five terrorist targets that were hit appeared on a   
holographic display  
in the Emperor's throne room.  
"There must be a way to stop them, I will not stand by while some   
blasphemous fool  
terrorizes my people." Asuza said.  
"We have work on different strategies, but without knowing their next move   
we have to  
be ready to act the moment we see them on the move." Duncan told him.  
"That doesn't give us much time to act, they can pop in and out of that   
sub space  
pocket they are using as a base of operations anywhere in the city." Zarlova   
added.  
"Are you certain we have been unable to detect this sub space pocket?"   
Asuza asked.  
"We flew in experts from the Galactic Science Academy and they all failed   
to find a  
way to detect it." Zarlova replied.  
"I am not accustomed to feeling helpless, but at this moment that is how I   
am feeling."  
Asuza said. "Do whatever is necessary, use whatever resources you need, take   
the entire  
fleet if you need it but I want this mad man stopped!"  
"You can count on us, milord." Zarlova said with a bow.  
  
Weeks passed without any more activity from Hakuda's followers. The   
trailed had turned  
cold and Duncan was wondering what the point of the earlier attacks had been   
about. The  
group had only made a few demands concerning the removal of the Royal Family   
from power, but  
they stopped their attacks. Unseen by Duncan and his team of agent, Hakuda   
followers were  
busy with a new plan of attack.  
It was going on the fifth month of Tenchi and gang's journey through   
space, and at the   
royal palace the Emperor and his wives were starting to feel as if they might   
not ever seen   
their family again. No word had come up concerning them from any ships   
patrolling Jurai space,   
and the GP received no word about them either. The Emperor was both concerned   
for his people   
and his daughters both, and it was starting to have an effect on him.  
Queen Fonaho was recently appointed Minster of Defense for the Empire.   
She walked onto  
the floor of the command center for planetary defense and watched as hundreds of   
holographic  
monitors displayed data on each ship in the fleet. She noticed that several of   
screens were  
blanked out. Admiral Shakar stood in the center of the command center in a ring   
of consoles  
named the Hot Zone, from here all the defensive resources of the entire empire   
could be   
controlled at the touch of a button.  
"Why are these screen blanked out?" she asked.  
"Those are ships we recently lost." the Admiral said. "We are   
investigating, and one  
of those was the Lunari."  
"I wonder if this terrorist group has anything to do with the Lunari's   
destruction."  
Fonaho mused.  
"Its possible, but the data recorder we recovered shows they were   
destroyed by an  
unknown class of ship." the Admiral replied.  
"Engaged by enemies on two fronts, this is not good at all." she said.  
"It gets worse, I learned this morning that several ships have refused to   
check in, but  
our monitors show they are still operational." Admiral Shakar said.  
"Mutiny?" Fonaho asked in shock.  
"Our intelligence agents have no other explanation, milady." Admiral   
Shakar told her.  
"Some of our contacts with the terrorist investigation tells us that several   
members of this  
Hokuda's group are officers in the fleet."  
"This is very bad, if they gain control of our some of our ships--" Fonaho   
said.  
"I could prove disastrous for us all." Admiral Shakar finished for her.  
  
Duncan's team received a major lead in the case, an anonymous informant   
told them that the  
terrorist group was active in the Kogong sector of the capital city. This   
sector was residential  
with thousands of homes were the citizens lived. The houses were domed like   
buildings that  
appeared to be natural fixtures on the landscape. Much of the architecture of   
Jurai reflected  
this merging of form and design with nature. Only the industrial sector, the   
most remote part  
of the city, looked artificial on the landscape.  
The information that had been given told Duncan that a large structure   
used as a  
place of recreation was the group's focal point. For a week he had his people   
stake out  
the location, they observed an obvious pattern of activity at the building, and   
a plan of  
action of drawn up quickly. Agent Kirasawa took the plan to the Emperor and   
Chairman  
Zarlova first before enacting it.  
"So you've found them?" Zarlova asked.  
"Yes, they are staying around a recreation center in the Kogong sector."   
Duncan told  
him. "We've observed them for a week and they do not seem to notice we are   
there so I feel  
we have a chance this time to take them."  
"What is it you will need to deal with this situation?" Emperor Asuza   
asked.  
"I wish to have the use of the Elite Guard." Duncan said.  
The Elite Guard were considered the best soldiers on Jurai. None could   
beat them  
and they were the protectors of the Royal Palace. Their fighting skills were   
legendary,  
thus making them the most feared warriors in the galaxy.  
Zarlova's eyes went wide, he did not expect his agent to make such a   
request, and he  
looked at the Emperor half expecting a negative reaction on his face. The   
Chairman of the  
Secret Police was surprise to see a grin on the Emperor's face.  
"Take as many as you will anticipate needing, I want this monster either   
brought to  
justice or stopped anyway necessary." Asuza replied.  
"Thank you, milord." Duncan bowed before leaving the throne room.  
"Do you think it wise to give him some of the Elite Guard during this   
crisis?" Zarlova  
asked.  
"I have confidence in Agent Kirasawa." Emperor Asuza said. "Everything in   
my empire is  
starting to fall apart, this terrorist group, several fleet ships refusing to   
answer hails  
or return to station, and the mysterious destruction of some of our ships by   
some new  
enemy we have been unable to identify or locate."  
"It does seem like someone is trying to demoralize the Empire in some   
way." Zarlova  
commented.  
"Demoralize is not the word, undermine, infiltrate, eradicate are some of   
the words   
that I would have chosen." Asuza replied. "Someone is out to destroy my empire   
and I want  
it stopped no matter the cost, my people are in danger, or faith is threatened,   
and my two  
precious little girls are missing."  
  
In a secluded part of the city a lone man soon next to a public   
communications device  
and just stood waiting. The receiver buzzed with an incoming call and the man   
tapped the  
receive button. No picture appeared on the flat panel display, and the man had   
already  
through to put a hat over the optic sensor of his communicator so whoever was on   
the other  
end would not see him.  
"They found your latest position." the voice on the other end said. "They   
are well  
arms, and Duncan Kirasawa is leading them."  
"We'll be ready for them, and thanks for tipping us off that he was an   
agent."  
the man said.  
"I deposited the usual amount into Lord Hakuda's account using a fake   
account I created."  
the voice said. "If it were ever found out that I was diverting some funds from   
the agency  
to you it would be very bad for me."  
"The money will be of great help, you are wise to assist us." the man   
said. "We are  
both working to make Jurai a better place."  
"I have to go, all communications are being scanned, but I am blocking   
them for now  
but I can't do this forever." the voice replied.  
"This will do, you've done us a great service." the man said and he   
pressed the  
disengage button. He took his hat, placed it on his head, and turned to leave.   
As he did  
he started to laugh, his eyes glowed a dim red, and his face morphed into the   
likeness of  
Hakuda.  
"Yes, thank you very much Chairman Zarlova." Hakuda laughed as he faded   
into  
subspace.  
  
Three squads of Elite Guard soldiers joined Agent Kirasawa in the assault   
against the  
terrorists. The soldiers still wore the ornate armor they wore at the palace,   
with white,  
green, and red markings and flowing red capes down their backs. As decorative   
at they  
appeared, the armor was also powerful, and gave the Elite Guard enhanced   
physical strength,  
enhanced speed, and limited flying capabilities. Their stalves were their   
ultimate weapon,  
they were long and curved near the end and affixed with a large setting of   
crystals. The  
weapon was deadly with the ability to launch energy attacks, absorb energy   
weapons fire  
and redirect it, and also had the ability to form a force field.  
The Captain of the Elite Guard stood beside Agent Kirasawa on the street   
while they  
planned out the attack. Captain Ginaro looked at the holographic floor plans   
for the building  
they were about to attack. This strategic mind told him the building was going   
to be hard  
to attack, there were multiple entrances, and its interior had a great deal of   
alcoves and  
twisting passageways that could be easily defended.  
"They pass into a sub-space pocket universe they created so they can move   
their base  
of operations around much faster." Duncan told the Captain.  
"Which also means they can pull out at the slightest hint of trouble."   
Captain Ginaro  
said.  
"Exactly, which is why we need to be cautious." Duncan replied.  
"We are ready to move at your order." Captain Ginaro told him.  
"Spread out to cover all the exits, put eight men on each of the four here   
and here,  
and we will lead the attack from the main entrance here." Duncan explained as he   
pointed to  
the building plans.  
"A sound strategy, that will leave us with ten men to attack the main   
entrance, and  
if they are as heavily armed as you say will need those ten despirately."   
Captain Ginaro  
said.  
Duncan looked up into the night sky and then at his wrist watch. "We   
strike at dawn,  
our intellegence says they open the doorway to their pocket universe then to let   
their agents  
out." he said.  
  
As the sun rose over the horizon the Elite Guard made their move. Duncan   
and Captain  
Ginaro with their forces broke through the main entrance and into the large   
building. They  
made their way towards the largest room where a game similar to Earth basketball   
was played,  
but there was no sign of any subspace pocket anywhere.  
"Not again, how do they keep doing this?" Duncan muttered under his   
breath. The Captain  
heard the comment and narrowed his eyes, he enjoyed a challenge and apparently   
these terrorist  
were proving to be just that.  
A crackle came over their communicators as they were searching some of the   
adjoining  
rooms. "Agent Kirasawa, we found something in the community bath you might want   
to see."  
said a voice of an Elite Guardsmen.  
"On my way." Duncan replied.  
When he got there the other Guardsmen were still searching the area fo any   
sign of the  
sub-space door. A single Guardsman was standing near a table in the middle of   
the room. The  
steam from the hot baths which were natural springs in the area filled the room.   
Duncan  
approached and the Guardsman gestured towards the table. A message in Juraian   
text, from   
which the pictographic language of the Japanese had originated, spelled out a   
message. It  
read; A Gift for Dear Agent Kirasawa. Next to the message was a small device he   
recognized  
as a holographic recorder. He touched the device and stepped back as the   
message began  
to play back.  
The face of Hakuda appeared in midair above the device. Captain Ginaro's   
eye brow did  
a Spock Maneuver when he noticed who this man resembled.  
"You have proven to be a exceptional opponent Agent Kirasawa." Hakuda said   
in the message.  
"I am impressed with your abilities, it did take us some time to find out who   
you really were,  
but it was not too difficult for us. Too bad you are on the wrong side we have   
need of people  
with your talents, but then not everyone will live to see Jurai's Golden Age.   
So far you have  
seen a small demonstration of our power, and still the Senate and the Holy   
Counsil ignores my  
demands. The people have spoken and they no longer wish to be under the   
dictatorship of a  
Royal Family that cares nothing for them, they want to be free, and I am that   
freedom. The  
rulers of Jurai will this day see a demonstration of our real power and then   
they must listen  
to our demands then. It is regrettable you did not join us Duncan, but I can no   
longer afford   
to play this game of cat and mouse with you, therefore I bid you farewell."  
"What did he mean by that?" Captain Ginaro asked.  
Duncan was puzzled, but suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood   
up on end. He  
kneeled down and looked under the table, and a large device was attached   
underneath. He   
recognized it almost immediately as an explosive device. It was attached to two   
plasma  
cannon cartridges which indicated on their displays that they were fully   
charged. But it  
was the insignia that was on those cartridges that caught his eye. The   
countdown on the  
bomb was rapidly reaching zero, so he knew he didn't have long to get everyone   
out of the  
building.  
"There is a bomb, evacuate the building now!" he shouted.  
Duncan and the others fled from the building as fast as their legs would   
carry them,  
the Elite Guardsmen ran much faster due the enhancements from their armor. "All   
Guardsman  
leave the building its going to explode!" Captain Ginaro ordered over the   
communicator.  
Duncan ran until he reached his ground car, he leaped over the engine hood   
on the rear  
and dropped down behind it. Before he reached the ground the building became a   
massive fire  
ball, flames and debris shot into the air, and the sound woke up nearly everyone   
in the  
neighborhood. As the debris of the building came down around them Duncan walked   
back over  
to where Captain Ginaro was standing near the ground cars the Elite Guard had   
used.  
"This Hakuda individual is a rather cunning adversary." Captain Ginaro   
said.  
"That is an understatement." Duncan told him.  
"What is our move now?" Captain Ginaro asked.  
"Its pretty clear now, Chairman Zarlova and I suspected we have a leak in   
the Secret  
Police, and now this proves it." Duncan said.  
"This is very bad indeed." said Captain Ginaro.  
"It is very bad, Captain, because the only poeple who know we are out here   
are the  
Chairman and the Emperor." Duncan told him.  
Captain Ginaro looked at him for a moment. "I assume you are not   
suspecting the  
Emperor, which thus places suspicion on the Chairman." he said.  
"Exactly, and now I have to try and prove it without him realizing that I   
am investigating  
him." Duncan said.  
"I wonder what Hakuda said that this day we will see his true power?"   
Captain Ginaro  
asked. At that moment a deafening roar, a bright light, and a powerful blast of   
heat struck  
both men so hard they were knocked to the ground. Duncan's head hit the side of   
the ground  
car as he fell and he passed out into blissful unconsciousness.  
  
At last, after weeks of travel Tenchi could see the blue-green orb of   
planet Jurai, and so could  
the rest of the passengers of the Ryu-Ohki. The sight of their homeworld   
filled the  
Princesses with joy, and Aeka shared that joy with Tenchi and Ryoko through   
their mental link  
with each other. Ryoko had other emotions to share with Tenchi and Aeka, and   
these were  
fear and apprehension since the last time she set eyes on Jurai was when Kagato   
ordered her  
to attack the planet.  
"Don't be afraid to go to Jurai, it was not your fault what happened, and   
nobody can place  
blame on your for what you did." Aeka told her.  
"I'm just still worried, after all, what if they don't except our marriage   
to Tenchi?"  
she asked.  
"You are joined in the Great Bond, to contest it is blasphemy against   
Tsunami." Katsuhito  
said. "It is also a major violation of our laws as well."  
"It is beautiful, and it has two rings." Tenchi said watching the planet   
grow in size in  
Ryu-Ohki's viewscreen.  
"Miya." the Cabbit agreed, and her face appeared in a floating crystal and   
nodded.  
"Ya, you can see the rings at night, they are so beautiful." Sasami said.  
"It has been a long time since I set foot on our homeworld." Katsuhito   
said.  
"I only wish Kiyone were here to see this----WAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!" Mihoshi   
cried leaving  
a puddle on the floor.  
"I wish Dad and Washu were here to see this too." Tenchi added to   
Mihoshi's comment.  
"I can feel that Mom is alright, and she is getting closer, but I don't   
know where the  
others are." Ryoko said.  
"We'll find them, even if it takes use centuries we will find them." Aeka   
said.  
  
In the Defense Command Center for planet Jurai the Ryu-Ohki came up on the   
sensors.  
Admiral Shakar read the readings from the sensors and his eyes went wide when   
the ship was  
identified. Fonaho had returned to the command center a moment before and she   
was jsut  
walking into the Red Zone.  
"Milady, a vessel is approaching that is identified as the Ryu-Ohki."   
Admiral Shakar  
told her. "It appears to be the same vessel that was responsible for the   
catastrophic  
attack on planet Jurai nearly seven hundred years ago."  
"The Ryu-Ohki, that is Ryoko's vessel, hail it at once and hurry." she   
ordered.  
"Yes, milady." Admiral Shakar bowed.  
  
The communicator on the Ryu-Ohki crackled for a second letting them know   
that someone was  
trying to contact them. Immediately after a gruff voice came over the internal   
speakers.  
"Captain of the Ryu-Ohki, you are ordered to respond to this   
communication, if you fail  
to comply you will be fired upon." the voice said.  
"Welcome home, Princess." Ryoko said with a smirk on her face.  
  
"I did not tell you to say that, Admiral." Fonaho said with disapproval.   
The Admiral had  
a stunned look on his face when Fonaho pushed him aside and ran her hands over   
the communicator  
controls.  
"Ryu-Ohki, this is Fonaho, who is onboard?" she asked.  
A holographic image appeared in the command center showing the bridge of   
the notorious  
pirate ship. Fonaho's face will with joy that was mirrored by Sasami, Aeka, and   
Tenchi at  
the sight of their family.  
"Fonaho, it is so joyous to look upon your face again." Aeka said.  
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you, but where is Sasami?" she   
asked.  
"I'm right here, Mommy Fonaho." Sasami said, and Fonaho's eyes went a   
little wide.  
"Oh, Sasami, you've grown up so beautiful, I hardly recognized you."   
Fonaho gushed.  
"Mother." Katsuhito said.  
"I am also glad to see you also, my son." Fonaho said with a polite nod   
towards the  
image of her son.  
"If the pleasantries are over, may I remind you all that we have Darkling   
ships  
following us." Ryoko said.  
Fonaho and Admiral Shakar looked at each other with a puzzled look on   
their faces. "What  
are Darklings?" Admiral Shakar asked.  
Admiral Shakar looked at his console for a moment and noticed that several   
ships were  
on an intercept course for the Ryu-Ohki. he scanned for their registration and   
found they  
were some of the ships that refused to obey orders and check in. It also   
appeared that  
they changed their prefix codes as well, which made it impossible to take   
control of the   
ships from the command center.  
"Ryu-Ohki, there are several Jurai Fleet ships on an intercept course with   
you." Admiral  
Shakar spoke up quickly. "I believe they intend to attack you."  
"What do you mean, attack us, can't you order them to stand down?" Aeka   
asked.  
"These vessels are renegade, they refuse to obey orders." Fonaho told her.  
"What?" Aeka shouted.  
Sasami concentrated for a moment and her mind's eye looked out onto the   
Goddess Tsunami.  
She appeared perplexed as she tried to contact the trees of the ship that were   
approaching  
the Ryu-Ohki, but the trees would not respond.  
"Aeka, Tsunami can't feel the trees that control those ships, something is   
very wrong."  
Sasami whispered to her sister.  
"That-that-that's impossible." Aeka said.  
"Fonaho, what has been happening on Jurai?" Tenchi asked.  
The Queen of Jurai lowered her head in sadness. "There is a terrorist   
group trying to  
get the government to remove the Royal Family from power, several of our ships   
have gone  
renegade, and a number of our ships have been destroyed by an unknown enemy."   
she told  
him. "Could that have anything to do with these Darklings you mention?"  
"As a matter of fact it does." Tenchi replied.  
"Miya, miya miya miya miya!" Ryu-Ohki meowed a warning.  
"I hate to interrupt but we're under fire!" Ryoko shouted as her hands   
raced over the  
controls to evade a barrage of weapons fire.  
"Juraian vessels, cease your attack on the Ryu-Ohki at once, this is Queen   
Fonaho the  
Minister of Defense." Fonaho ordered over the comm.  
"No response." Admiral Shakar told her.  
"Ryoko, tried to evade them, we'll send you help." Fonaho said.  
"I can outfly these Juraian flyboys any day of the week.." she said with a   
smirk   
on her face.  
Ryu-Ohki meowed in annoyance as more weapons fire narrowly missed her hull   
thanks to  
Ryoko's lightning fast reflexes. The Juraian battleships were not letting up,   
they pressed  
their attack, and they still refused to acknowledge any commands to cease their   
attack. Finally,  
Fonaho had quite enough of this situation. She looked over at Admiral Shakar,   
and then pressed  
a button on the console that opened a channel to all ships within listening   
range.  
"This Queen Fonaho Masaki Jurai of the Royal Family of Jurai and appointed   
Minister of  
Defense for Planet Jurai," she said on the comm. "If any vessel in the vicinity   
of planet  
Jurai receives this transmission, please listen very carefully, five vessels of   
the fleet that   
are assumed to be renegades and traitors to the empire are attacking a vessel   
known as the  
Ryu-Ohki which is approaching the planet, the Ryu-Ohki is carrying members of   
the Royal Family  
and must be protected at all costs. If any vessel receives this message that is   
still loyal  
to the Royal Family you are ordered to intercept these traitors and stop them   
from destroying  
the Ryu-Ohki at all costs. If necessary I give you full authority to use lethal   
force and  
destroy the renegade vessels. The Ryu-Ohki must reach planet Jurai at all   
costs. End of  
transmission."  
Almost immediately the console in front of Fonaho lighted up with hundreds   
of acknowledgments from all over the system. In space Ryoko had to change   
course from Jurai to one of the  
ring systems that circled the planet to evade their attackers. The renegade   
force was made up  
of five ships, and each had their Light Hawk Wings engaged and were firing using   
full power  
to their weapons. Ten large sub-space portals opened in the same vicinity of   
space and  
several Juraian cruisers emerged. These were vessels loyal to the Empire, and   
they ranged in  
on the renegades quickly and opened fire. Their weapons splashed off the LHW   
shields the  
renegades were using, and so they deployed their own shields to defend   
themselves. The captains  
of each ship knew the battle that was ahead of them, they each had shields that   
were virtually  
indestructible, and each had immense firepower. It was only a matter of who   
will eventually  
loose power to their shields and when. The two fleets of combatants exchanged   
fire, but it   
instantly became clear that the renegades somehow had superior weaponry. The   
renegade beams  
were damaging the Light Hawk Wings of the loyalists' ships. For the captains it   
seemed impossible,  
but during the fighting the renegade vessels began to eject fragments of their   
hulls into space.  
Tenchi and the passengers on Ryu-Ohki watched in horror as the renegade   
vessels began to  
slowly reveal the Darkling modifications that had been made them.  
"So that is how they are doing it." Tenchi said in surprise and horror.  
"What is on those ships?" Fonaho asked them over the comm.  
"Some type of modifications made to the design of the ships." Katsuhito   
said. "We have  
seen this before, its was done by the Darkness, and I fear our ships will be   
hard pressed to  
win this battle."  
A great explosion next to the Ryu-Ohki caught everyone's attention. They   
looked out of  
the clear crystalline viewscreen bubble and watched in horror as a Juraian tree   
ship became  
a raging fireball in space.  
"We just lost the Joxar!" Admiral Shakar shouted from his console next to   
Fonaho.  
For thirty minutes the battle continued to rage on and Ryoko continued to   
dodge  
attacks from renegade ships that broke from the fight with the loyal Juraian   
ships. Ryoko  
made one quick movement to dodge a shot but did not anticipate that it was   
intended to miss  
them, and Ryu-Ohki meowed out in pain as a another beam struck her in the side.   
The Cabbit  
ship began to loose power quickly and her engines began to give out.  
"Come one Ryu-Ohki, we've gotten out of tougher situations than this one   
before."  
Ryoko said to the Cabbit trying to encourage her.  
"Miya miya miya!" cried the Cabbit.  
"Ryu-Ohki's hurt pretty bad, those things have nearly triple the firepower   
of a   
regular Juraian battleship." Ryoko told the others.  
A sudden jolt told Ryoko that Ryu-Ohki had just been snared in a tractor   
beam. She  
switched the external viewscreen in that direction and sure enough she was able   
to see the  
shimmering energy of a tractor beam.  
"They've got us, looks like we're going to be fending off boarders."   
Tenchi said as  
he took the Master Key out of his shirt.  
  
In the local region of space a strange phenomenon never before detected by   
sensors on  
planet Jurai took place. A region of folded space appeared on Fonaho's sensor   
console and her  
jaw dropped in total disbelief. A starship the likes of which had never been   
seen before in  
Jurai-space emerged from the spatial rift. It was long, sleek, and appeared to   
have an almost  
organic look to its hull. The vessel immediately started to scan the area as it   
assessing  
the situation, then it moved towards the battle raging between the renegades and   
the Juraian  
fleet ships.  
"What the hell is that thing?" Admiral Shakar asked.  
"At this point I won't even bother to ask." Fonaho told him.  
The newcomer began opening fire on the renegade ships, its weapons tore   
through their  
LHW shields like a red hot knife passing through lard. One by one the renegade   
ships were  
disabled in space, the newcomer was targeting their weapons systems and engines.   
With the  
renegades quickly disabled the newcomer directed its attention on the Ryu-Ohki.   
The ship  
raced towards them and opened fire on the renegade's tractor beam. A direct hit   
destroyed  
the beam and diminished its LHW shields. The renegade however returned fire,   
but its  
weapons fire splashed harmlessly off a deflector field that sprang into   
existance around  
the newcomer. The newcomer returned fire with a beam cannon and twin pulse   
weapons, it  
hit its mark and holed the renegade ship through and through. The renegade ship   
drifted  
in space for a few short minutes before it exploded into a brilliant fireball.  
  
Tenchi and the others were too stunned to say a word. They watched as the   
renegades  
were put down in minutes and then their attacker was destroyed practically in   
seconds. The  
newcomer ship was an impressive sight, and something about the appearance of the   
ship  
seemed somehow familiar to them.  
"That couldn't be what I think it is, could it?" Tenchi asked nobody in   
particular.  
A holographic viewscreen popped into existence showing the smiling face of   
an adult  
Washu standing next to a tall man in a black jumpsuit uniforms. Her had her arm   
around his  
waist and the man's arm was around her shoulder. A look of supreme joy and   
happiness was  
on her face when she looked at her family and friends on the other end of the   
comm link.  
"Mother!" Ryoko shouted in surprise and joy.  
"I told you I'd catch up with you, Little Ryoko." the red-haired genius   
said with  
a sheepish smile.  
"But-but who is that with you?" Tenchi asked.  
"Who do you think?" Washu asked as she winked her eye.  
Suddenly Tenchi recognized the face of the man who stood with Washu. The   
thought  
travelled their the link he had with Aeka and Ryoko and the two women gasped   
with as they  
too suddenly recognized him.  
"Prince Orrin, but you let our universe." Tenchi said.  
"I am back, my work at home is done and now I have work to do here." Orrin   
said as  
he squeezed Washu tightly to his side.  
"Who is this, what is going on up there, would someone please explain this   
to me?"  
Fonaho asked in a voice that was uncharacteristic of her normal placid nature.  
"Well, when the Darklings attacked the planet Earth Orrin was the one who   
helped  
us defeat them." Tenchi said.  
"What exactly are these Darklings, and what do they want with Jurai?"   
Admiral  
Shakar asked.  
"That is a very long---" Orrin started to say but the signal was   
interrupted.  
The floor of the command center started to shake and dust sifted down from   
the  
ceiling and onto the floor. Fonaho grabbed her console to keep her footing, and   
the  
lights in the command center flickered for a few moments. The lights suddenly   
went  
dead and all the consoles shutdown, but instantly emergency power engaged and   
all  
systems came back online.  
"What the hell was that?" Admiral Shakar shouted to several men working   
consoles  
across the room.  
"Not sure Admiral, our main transmitter and receiver tower is offline."   
one of the  
men replied. "Sensor readings indicated a large explosion just took place   
inside the  
capital city."  
"What?" Admiral Shakar and Fonaho both shouted at once.  
"It appears that a large thermonuclear device was detonated inside the   
city, its  
total chaos up there, the Comm channels are full of cries for assistance on all  
civilian channels." another man shouted as tears started to fall down his face.   
"The  
blast was near the Royal Palace, but it appears that the palace shields held   
back most  
of the blast. Unfortunately it had the effect of reflecting the shockwave   
outward into  
the city and there is vast destruction."  
"Great Tsunami!" Fonaho said quietly as she put her face into her hands   
and cried  
because she know the death toll would be unimaginable.  
  
Orrin had everyone on the Ryu-Ohki transferred onto Kryton. Ryu-Ohki was   
in her  
Cabbit form munching away at a carrot Washu had Kryton replicate for her.   
Everyone  
was introduced to Orrin's children, Darius and Yuko. They were all gathered on   
the  
bridge to try and figure out why Fonaho's transmission ended so quickly.  
"We're getting no transmissions from their command center at all." Yuko   
said  
her the communications console.  
"I am reading a great deal of radiation and electromagnetic interference   
down  
there on the planet." Darius said from his astrogation console.  
"I detected an electromagnetic pulse the moment the transmission ended."   
Kryton  
told them.  
"An electromagnetic pulse, doesn't that like knock out electronics?"   
Tenchi asked.  
"Yes, but normally Juraian technology is unaffected by such attacks due to   
its organic  
nature." Washu told him. "Something else has happened." She immediately called   
up her  
holo computer and started to type franticly.  
"I will lend you some of my key sensor arrays for your scan, Mistress   
Washu." Kryton'  
said.  
"Thank you, but I think I know what happened down there." she said with a   
look of  
sorrow on her face.  
The ship had passed beyond the ionosphere of the Jurai atmosphere and was   
quickly  
approaching the capital city at a high altitude. They could see the city from a   
distance  
and they could seen dense black clouds hanging over the metropolis.  
"Looks like they are having bad weather." Tenchi said.  
"Those clouds are too low to be storm clouds." Katsuhito commented.  
Mihoshi stepped forward and for the first time in hours spoke up and said,   
"It-It-It  
looks like smoke."  
"Smoke!" Aeka shouted.  
"The city is burning." Washu said in a monotone voice.  
"My god, look at these radiation readings." Darius said.  
"It appears that a nuclear device of considerable yield was recently   
deployed here."  
Kryton said.  
Tenchi gasped and his shock spread to the two women he was linked with.   
"Are you  
saying a nuclear weapon was used on that city?" he asked but did somehow he   
already knew the  
answer.  
"Yes it was, and we are seeing the aftermath." Washu told them.  
"Mommy, Daddy, Fonaho, oh no!" Sasami cried as her hands flew to her face.  
"There is a massive structure built inside a giant living tree in the   
center of the  
city." Kryton said. "It appears to have survived the blast due to a force   
field."  
"Its the defensive systems of the palace, our parents may still be alive."   
Aeka said  
with hope in her thoughts.  
"I am sure they are, but we have to get down there and see what we can do   
to help."  
Tenchi said.  
Orrin sat down at the helm controls and looked over at Aeka. "Guide me to   
where we  
can land close to the palace." he said.  
"We have a hanger entrance on the opposite side of the palace we use, I   
can open it   
with our secret code, but we need to transmit it on the correct frequency." Aeka   
told him.  
"That will be my job." Yuko said.  
Aeka went to Yuko's console and keyed in what was necessary for them to   
get into the  
hanger boy. "That should do it." she said.  
"Ok, everybody hang on, there are a great deal of atmospheric disturbances   
around  
the city due to the blast this will be a bumpy ride going in." Orrin told them   
as he took  
the controls and guided the ship towards the hanger entrance that Aeka pointed   
out.  
  
Queen Fonaho knew her beloved Sister and husband were alive due to their   
link. She  
knew they were terrified, and that Asuza was enraged beyond reason. A small   
glimmer of  
happiness came through all the rage and anger though since the Emperor and   
Empress know  
that their children were safe and coming back to Jurai. The report of a ship   
entering  
the royal hanger bay using Princess Aeka's secret code came to her on her wrist   
comlink  
and she knew it had to be them. She ran from the command center and headed for   
the  
hanger as fast as she could run. She found them all walking down a ramp that   
extended  
down the bottom of Prince Orrin's starship.  
The Juraian Queen lost all her royal composure and ran to meet them with   
crushing  
hugs and soft kisses. She hugged Tenchi tightly and covered his face with   
kisses.  
"Thank you for bringing out beloved family back go us safely." she said to   
him.  
"I love them very much, I would gladly give my life to make sure they were   
safe."  
he told her.  
Aeka and Ryoko did not gasp in shock over his remark for they know it was   
the  
truth, but they still blushed none the less.  
"I understand our search for a suitor for you Aeka is at and end." Fonaho   
said with  
a smile on her face.  
"Yes, Tenchi, Ryoko, and I are joined." Aeka told her.  
"I remember when I bonded with your mother and father, it was a very   
enlightening  
experience." Fonaho said.  
"The same can be said for us, it was so enlightening that these two have   
made up  
for good and haven't fought each other in weeks." Tenchi commented.  
"We sometimes have our differences, but our unique situation helps us find   
less  
violent solutions." Aeka added.  
"Ya, we scream at each other with our thoughts and keep Tenchi from   
overhearing  
us." Ryoko said with a laugh.  
"Wah?" Tenchi said with his eyes wide.  
"Got you." both women said at once with sly smiles on their beautiful   
faces.  
"I also see that parts of your personalities have also melded into each   
other."  
Fonaho said with a smile. "The same thing happened to us."  
"Mother." Katsuhito said and walked up to embrace her.  
After the gentle hug, she looked at her son and sighed. "It has been a   
long time  
since you set foot on Jurai, my son." she said.  
"The last time I was home was when I left to chase Ryoko across the   
galaxy." he  
said and the mention of it made Ryoko wince. Fonaho's quick eyes noticed her   
reaction instantly.  
"Don't worry, Ryoko, we shall accept you with open arms." Fonaho told her.   
"We know  
the real reason for your attack on Jurai, so do not be afraid of this place   
because it is  
now your home too---Princess Ryoko."  
"Princess?" Ryoko said in surprise.  
"I thought we discussed this once before, because you are married to Lord   
Tenchi you  
are now a Princess of Jurai." Aeka told her.  
"Oh, ya, I almost forgot about that." Ryoko said smiling and rubbing the   
back of her  
head. "Ironic isn't it for me to become a princess of a planet I almost   
destroyed."  
"I'm really sorry to end this touching family reunion so quickly, but we   
need to meet  
with the Emperor right now." Washu interrupted.  
"Yea, about this Darkness you keep speaking about." Fonaho said.  
"Yes, and if you think this situation is bad I am afraid you have only   
just seen the  
beginning." Orrin said and an ominous feeling fell upon all of them, even   
Fonaho.  
  
Far ways in another part of the universe two sets of eyes watch the events   
on  
planet Jurai very closely. They know of the presence of the Darkness in their   
universe, but  
they have decided to observe for now before it becomes necessary to intervene.   
One of the  
set of eyes belonged to a beautiful woman whose very countenance radiated   
immense power, and  
the other to a man with grayish skin and long gray locks of hair.  
"The arrival of the Darkness must most certainly alter the plans you have   
had for this  
universe." the gray man said in a monotone voice, but his lips did not move.  
"It changes nothing, I am proceeding with my plans requardless of their   
arrival." the  
woman said but her lips did not move. "If they get in my way I will destroy   
them."  
"Greater immortals than you have proclaimed to do the same thing, and now   
they no longer  
exists." the gray man said. "It is unwise to underestimate the power of the   
Darkness."  
"I fear them not." the woman said.  
"You are new to them, you have never seen them before, but I have and you   
have much to   
fear, Lady Tokimi." the gray man said. The gray man, D3, turned his ancient   
eyes to the  
beautiful and ancient goddess.  
"This Orrin Quintarin is capable of destroying them easily, they cannot be   
more powerful  
than myself." Lady Tokimi said.  
"They are only advanced scouts, Lady Tokimi." D3 told her. "They will   
show their true power  
soon now that the Elo'Quin's champion has arrived."  
"The Elo'Quin, that is a name I have not heard in a very long time." Lady   
Tokimi mused.  
"It is they whom the Darkness is looking for." D3 explained.  
"The Elo'Quin did not stay here long." Lady Tokimi told him.  
"This I know, but now they are here and even I am powerless to prevent   
them from destroying  
this universe in their search for them." D3 said, his pupiless eyes which   
normally showed no emotion  
now showed sadness. "I feel their master is coming also, and if he arrives   
beings like ourselves  
will be in grave danger, for you see he can destroy beings like ourselves with   
little effort."  
"Then for my plans to succeed and for this universe to survive our only   
hope is that boy and  
that Prince from another reality." Lady Tokimi replied.  
"Their powers are considerable, they are our only hope." D3 said.  
"It is my hope that my sister has chosen well, and as for my other sister   
I find it interesting  
that she loves this Orrin." Lady Tokimi said.  
"Did you feel that, there was a disturbance in the fabric of reality, yes   
I can sense it." D3  
said suddenly. "They have arrived, the true power of the Darkness has arrived."  
"I can feel their power from here, it is immense." Lady Tokimi said with   
awe in her voice.  
"We can do nothing now, we are powerless against these Darklings, but   
Tenchi Masaki and Orrin  
Quintarin are not." D3 replied.  
"Then we wait." Lady Tokimi said and vanished.  
__________  
End of Chapter Seven...to be continued  
  
Next time...  
Chapter Eight: Prelude to Apocolypse...  
A terrible disaster strikes Jurai just as Tenchi and the gang make it to   
their destination.  
Secrets about the Darkness are finally revealed by Prince Orrin who has intimate   
knowledge  
of the creatures, and the Masaki Family finally comes to grips with the reality   
they are  
facing. Meanwhile, Kiyone awakens to find herself living in a nightmare where   
Noboyuki  
has turned young and has become eviil. It is the chilling and action packed   
conclusion  
to Episode Two of Dark Lord of Jurai. Stay tuned for Episode Three: No Need   
for Total  
War...  
  
If you enjoyed this fan fic series let me know at zorch@the-zorch.com.  
Remember to check out GenSao's Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction Archives for this  
and more great fan fics at http://www.tmffa.com and remember to visit my  
fan site "The-Zorch's World of Tenchi Muyo" at http:\\worldotenchi.the-  
zorch.com. 


	5. The Dark Lord of Jurai - Episode 2: Chap...

DISCLAIMER: All of the characters and character names from Tenchi  
Muyo, Tenchi TV, and Shin Tenchi are property of Pioneer and AIC. This  
work of fiction is written for fan appreciation only. Please do  
not sue me.   
__________  
NOTES: This work of fan fiction is based in the OAV continuity of  
Tenchi Muyo and borrows some elements from Tenchi TV such as Nagi,  
the Yagami, and also borrows from Shin Tenchi Muyo by introducing Yugi,  
Sakuya, and Ryu-Ohki's mech form into the story. I have also introduced   
some new characters and creations into the mix. I hope you enjoy the   
series as much as I enjoyed working on it. The Indian names (Owaso and Oscoda)   
that appear later in this chapter are taken from names of Counties in Michigan   
which were taken from real Indian tribes that once lived in this state. Some of   
them still do. I myself am 1/3 Cherokee Indian from my father's side. My great   
grandmother was Cherokee.  
__________  
THE DARK LORD OF JURAI SAGA  
  
Episode Two: No Need for A Space Journey  
  
Written by Michael "The-Zorch" Haney  
__________  
Previously...  
  
Tenchi and the gang braved the forces of another interdimensional   
accident and survived an encounter with creatures created by Washu and Tsunami's   
evil sister Lady Tokimi. The journey through the region of space called the   
Dead Zone has taken them six months. What has happened in that time, and what   
will Tenchi and the gang face next.  
__________  
Chapter Eight: Prelude to Apocalypse...  
  
Prologue  
  
The palace stopped shaking after several minutes and Misaki picked herself   
and Emperor Asuza off the floor of their private quarters. They both ran out of   
the room and headed for the balcony to see what happened. They were treated to   
a sight of the palace force field holding back a massive, billowing wall of   
smoke and fire. A massive mushroom cloud now obscured their sight of the   
capital city that had been visible from this vantage point. The roar of the   
titanic explosion could still be heard far below. In the back of their minds   
the two could feel Fonaho was alive and well but very confused and frightened.  
  
[Beloved, are you alright.] Asuza asked Fonaho through their link.  
  
[Thank Tsunami your alright, I could feel the two of you were safe, but  
I wasn't certain.] Fonaho replied.  
  
[Who had done this terrible act, who is responsible?] Misaki asked.  
  
[We're not certain, we are trying to get secondary sensors and   
communications online.] Fonaho told them. [Before the blast we received a   
transmission from the Aeka on the Ryu-Ohki.]  
Misaki and Asuza's hearts both leaped with joy. [She is safe, thank  
Tsunami.] Asuza said.  
  
[Aeka, Sasami, Ryoko, Yosho, Tenchi, and Galaxy Police Detective Mihoshi   
are onboard.] she replied.  
  
[When will they arrive?] Misaki asked eager to see her daughters and half-  
son again, but she was also eager to meet her great grand son also.  
  
[From their last known position I would say about fifteen minutes, but   
there is something else going on.] Fonaho told them. [Renegades in Juraian   
ships attacked them, but an ally of theirs arrived and disabled them.]  
  
[These heretic traitors tried to kill my daughters and my heir!] Asuza   
almost shouted.  
  
[We are not sure what is going on up there right now, we have no   
communications right now and minimal sensors.] Fonaho said. [We'll know more   
when the secondary systems are online and initialized.]  
  
[That should not take very long.] Misaki said.  
  
[Wait, we just got a call from the palace hanger bay, the Ryu-Ohki just   
landed and their ally is right behind them.] Fonaho told them.  
  
{We'll go to meet them right away, I am glad that you were not hurt,   
sister.] Misaki said.  
  
[As I am glad you are safe, sister.] Fonaho replied and then her end of   
the link was closed off.  
  
Duncan Kirasawa opened his eyes and immediately regretted it. Bright   
lights above his head pierced his eyes like daggers and he shut them quickly.   
He tried to move, to sit up, and to do anything but he could feel straps holding   
him down. It was then that he heard a soft voice close to his ear speak.  
  
"Relax, we are taking you to our medical facility." Said the familiar   
voice of captain of the Elite Forces.  
  
"What happened?" Duncan asked him in a gravelly voice.  
  
"A thermonuclear device was set off in the city." Captain Ginaro said.   
"We were luckily far enough away to avoid the worse of the blast."  
  
"You've been badly burned on half of your body, so we had to give you a   
large dosage of pain killer." Another voice said.  
  
"Who are you?" Duncan asked.  
  
"Lt. Brenn, Medical Officer of the Royal Elite Forces." The man said.  
  
Duncan looked up at the Captain Ginaro and saw the worried and haggard   
look on the man's face.  
  
"What about the city?" he asked the captain.  
  
"A majority of the city is in ruins." Captain Ginaro told him, his voice   
filled with sadness. "Emergency crews are trying to find survivors now."  
  
"Does Chairman Zarlova know about my injuries?" Duncan asked.  
  
Captain Ginaro looked him in the eye and said, "After today I don't trust   
him any further."  
  
"Huh?" Duncan said, and it was all he could say.  
  
"Only myself, the Emperor and Chairman Zarlova knew of the location we   
were going to this morning." The captain said. "I am not a traitor to my   
people, I also doubt that the Emperor would have dealings with these   
contemptible louts, thus I can only think of one probable suspect for the leak."  
  
"Dear Tsunami, not Zarlova." Duncan sighed. "I trained under him when I   
was a new recruit in the Secret Police."  
  
"People change, and greed is a powerful enemy." Captain Ginaro told him.   
"They probably offered him a great deal for his cooperation."  
  
"How can we prove it?" Duncan asked after a raspy cough.  
  
Captain Ginaro put his hand on Duncan's shoulder and told him, "For now   
worry about getting back on your feet, let me worry about Zarlova." The embers   
of an inner rage were glowing behind Ginaro's blue eyes, but it was a rage held   
in check by a clever and calculating mind.  
  
"Thank you." Duncan replied.  
  
"We'll keep you in our private hospital, the Chairman had no influence   
there and he will never learn that you're there." Lt. Brenn said. "Not even the   
Emperor will know your there."  
  
"There is something else, the Princesses have returned along with the hair   
to the throne and a few others." Captain Ginaro said.   
  
"What is going on?" Duncan asked.  
  
"I very much fear this insurrection in the Empire may be more than it   
seems." Captain Ginaro replied.  
  
The reunion of the Royal Family of Jurai was an event that should have   
filled with joyous celebration, but it was a somber event filled with tears and   
murmuring of dangers to come. Misaki ran towards her daughters and grabbed him   
each in a savage hug that would have killed any lesser beings. It took her a   
few minutes to suddenly realize that her youngest daughter was very different.  
  
"S-S-Sasami?" Misaki said in shock when he looked her now teenaged   
daughter from head to toe.  
  
"Its me Mommy." Sasami said, her voice still as sweet and soft as when she   
was a preteen.  
  
"But-how?" Misaki asked.  
  
"It's a long story that you and father deserve to here, but not right   
now." Sasami told her.  
  
"Perhaps when we have a chance to be alone." Misaki suggested.  
  
Emperor Asuza walked through the throng of the people who came to greet   
the Princesses and approached Tenchi. His face was a grim mask, and his eyes   
were filled with anger. He walked up to Tenchi and looked the young man in the   
eyes. Tenchi for a moment thought the Emperor was going to strike him. He knew   
Asuza did not care for him, but he was not sure what the Emperor was thinking at   
the moment. Tenchi froze and stiffened when Asuza wrapped his big arms around   
him and pull him into an embrace. A broad smile crisscrossed the Emperor's   
gruff face and he said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing my little   
girls back to me."  
  
"No-problem." Tenchi said trying to breathe.  
  
When Asuza saw that Tenchi's face was starting to turn a light shade of   
blue to released the young Prince. Then, the Emperor did something that no one   
in the court had ever seen him to for anyone. The Emperor of Jurai kneeled down   
before Tenchi Masaki, looked down at the floor and said, "I beg for your   
forgiveness at my distrust and hatred of you, Lord Tenchi."  
Tenchi was in shock, as was Aeka and Ryoko. They had expected Asuza to be   
infuriated with Tenchi, but that was not the case at all.  
  
"What do I have to forgive, you've never done anything to me that needed   
forgiving." Tenchi said.  
  
"I was angry with you, and I was conspiring against you." Emperor Asuza   
told him.  
  
"If I had a daughter and she was with a total stranger millions of miles   
away in space I'd feel the same way too." Tenchi told him.  
Asuza rose, took Tenchi hand, and shook it vigorously. "This lift a very   
heavy weight from my heart, Lord Tenchi." The Emperor said.  
  
[Tenchi, he's calling you Lord Tenchi." Ryoko said over their links after   
suddenly realizing the address the Emperor was using.  
  
"You called me Lord Tenchi." Tenchi said.  
  
"Yes, you are my great grandson, you are a Prince of Jurai, and you are my   
heir." Emperor Asuza told him.  
  
Aeka almost fainted in shock, her father had acknowledged Tenchi as his   
hair to the throne, and in sight of everyone in the court. He publicly   
announced his intended replacement as Emperor and that person was her Tenchi.  
Ryoko had a slightly different attitude towards it, she had great apprehension   
over this, and Tenchi sensed it via their link.  
  
"Ryoko, Aeka, and I are married." Tenchi said. He expected this to   
surprise the Emperor, but instead he saw happiness in Asuza's eyes.  
  
"I know, we learned of this through Detective Mihoshi's report of what   
took place on Earth." Asuza said. "I am happy for you, and I want Lady Ryoko to   
know that she has nothing to fear because of her past for she is a member of   
Royal Family of Jurai."  
Tears feel down Ryoko's face at the Emperor's acceptance of her marriage   
to his heir. Tenchi embraced her tightly in his arms and Aeka stood behind them   
with her face beaming with joy for her friend and sister-in-marriage with   
Tenchi.  
Someone clearing his or her throat interrupted everyone. They looked to   
the source of the sound and found Prince Orrin and Washu standing together.  
  
"We hate to interrupt this heartwarming scene, but I think we need to   
talk." Orrin said.  
  
"You are the one who saved the Ryo-Ohki from being destroyed by those   
renegades, who are you?" Misaki asked him.  
  
"I am Prince Orrin Quintarin of the Setari Empire, I came from another   
reality to aid Washu and her friends." Orrin said.  
  
"I thank you, you have my everlasting gratitude, Lord Orrin." Asuza said   
as he bowed towards Orrin.  
Orrin returned the bow with equally regal grace. "I am very honored,   
milord." Orrin replied.  
  
"What is it we need to discuss?" Asuza asked him.  
  
"The invasion and eventual conquest of planet Jurai by the Darkness,   
unless we can stop them." He said.  
  
None of them could say a word for they knew they're happy reunion was only   
going to be short lived. They looked at Orrin without expressions of surprise   
or anger, but with concern and worry. They could only imagine the knowledge the   
carried about these creatures from his years of experience dealing with them.  
  
Part One - Secrets Revealed...  
  
A few hours later the family gathered in the throne room. Fonaho and   
Misaki sat on either side of the Emperor of Jurai. Chairs for Tenchi and the   
others were brought in, and arranged in a semi-circle around the three thrones.   
Orrin stood in the center of it all as re recounted his experiences during the   
Dark War where his forces in the United Galactic Alliance fought off a mass   
Darkling Invasion of Earth.  
  
"The final battle was fought in a very small region of space, but it   
lasted for hours." Orrin told them.  
  
"How did the Earth survive such a vicious conflict?" Fonaho asked him.  
  
"By the skin of its teeth, Lady Fonaho." Orrin replied. "The ecosystem of   
the Earth has been effected so greatly it will take Terraformers decades to   
repair the damage."  
  
"Let us pray that nothing that serious happens to Jurai." Aeka said.  
  
"What happened by my world, will that have a lasting effect?" Tenchi   
asked.  
  
"Yes, it will cause some erratic weather patterns on your Earth for some   
time to come, but the damage is not extensive so the ecosystem will recover   
quickly." Orrin told him.  
  
"What I do not understand is why are they invading Jurai?" Emperor Asuza   
asked.  
  
"Long ago in your past it is recorded that several strangers from the   
stars came to Jurai." Orrin told him.  
  
"I helped him with that one by asking Tsunami if she remembers anything   
unusual in our history." Sasami added.  
  
"These strangers had miraculous powers and were accepted by Tsunami almost   
immediately." Orrin said. "One married a member of the royal family, one of   
your ancestors, and the others left to different parts of Jurai and were never   
seen again."  
  
"Were these strangers Elo'Quin?" Aeka asked.  
  
Orrin turned, nodded, and said, "After examining your DNA, Washu was able   
to confirm that the royal family has an Elo'Quin ancestry."  
Everyone looked at him in total disbelief except for Washu. For several   
minutes they all set there in total silence, then finally Misaki spoke up.  
  
"Is this the only reason they are invading us, because our ancient   
ancestor happens to belong to a race they dislike?" she asked.  
  
"They don't dislike the Elo'Quin, Lady Misaki, they loath the Elo'Quin and   
have spread themselves over thousands of alternate realities in a search for   
them." Orrin told her.  
  
"Anyone who has Elo'Quin blood is a threat to them, that is what you said   
on Earth." Tenchi said, quoting what Orrin had said back on Earth.  
  
"I did not understand why until the war began the Elo'Quin revealed   
themselves on Earth, my Earth." Orrin explained. "It is far too detail a story   
to tell here, but if you understood what happened you will know that the   
Darkness will do anything and everything to totally eradicate the Elo'Quin where   
ever they can be found."  
  
"Our people are doomed then?" Emperor Asuza asked him.  
  
"If we cannot stop them they will eradicate everyone on Jurai who had   
Elo'Quin blood in their veins." Orrin said to him.  
  
"We have to mobilize what forces we still have on our side." Fonaho said   
to her husband.  
  
"That is not all, the terrorist attacks on your planet are coordinated by   
the Darkness." Orrin said. "It is a tactic they have using for millions of   
years and until recently it has been one-hundred percent successful."  
  
"Until they encountered you and your forces, correct?" Katsuhito asked.  
  
Orrin nodded to old priest. "We were the only force they ever encountered   
that was able to defeat them." He said.  
  
"What freaking chance do we have?" Ryoko said as she jumped to her feet.  
  
"The ships of Jurai are already partially ethereal in nature, Washu and I   
and give them boost using Elo'Quin Etherealogical enhancements." Orrin said.  
  
"It will be pretty simple, the trees can do the modifications themselves,   
but we need Tsunami to tell them what changes to make." Washu spoke up.  
  
"Leave that part to me." Sasami said and Emperor Asuza's eyes went wide.  
  
"Get used to it, your majesty." Washu told him. "She'll be finishing her   
assimilation with Tsunami very soon and the next time you speak to your little   
girl you'll also be speaking to your goddess at the same time."  
  
"This is all so confusing, it is too much at one time." Misaki said as she   
put her face in her hands.  
  
"I know it is not going to be easy for any of us." Orrin said. "It was   
not easy for me when I lost my Janet, but I got up and went back into the   
battle."  
  
"How did you defeat the Darklings?" Tenchi asked.  
  
"There were people from Earth and other worlds who inherited special   
abilities from their Elo'Quin ancestry." Orrin said. "I found the people and   
trained them to be a part of a special elite task force. I started with those   
on Earth and my search soon took me around the galaxy. After I lost Janet I met   
up with them during the battle near Mars. It was the most massive and brutal   
ship to ship battle scene I had ever seen. We had 100,000 ships to one million   
of theirs, but we were holding strong against them. We organized a small strike   
team to infiltrate the Darkling command ship and sabotage the main reactor. It   
was on this raid that I encountered the Regent and Regis whom were in control of   
the invasion force. After a brutal fight they were both defeated, I met back up   
with the survivors of the strike team, and we escaped from the command ship   
before it exploded. By that time the Darklings had pushed our forces back to   
Earth. The explosion of the command ship could be seen even on the daylight   
side of the planet. They celebrated in the streets for months when the fighting   
was finally over, but we had a real struggle ahead of us. The Alliance was in   
ruins, most of major civilizations suffered immense damage, and a few do not   
exist anymore. That is why it's important that we stop them here and now."  
Orrin went silent and the memory of days gone by came back to him a rush   
with a flood of long forgotten pain. Everyone was silent. Washu stood up and   
put her arm around his shoulder and kissed him lightly on the cheek. After   
several minutes of silence Fonaho spoke.  
  
"I think it would be a good idea we got rid of this terrorist zealot who   
destroyed our capital city." She said.  
  
"He is likely a Darkling himself." Orrin told them.  
  
"That means either Orrin, myself, or Ryoko will have to deal with him."   
Tenchi said.  
  
"Yes, I discovered to my immediately disappointment that my powers have   
little effect on Darklings." Aeka added. "I was constantly needing help from   
Tenchi and Ryoko during the battles we had with them."  
  
"It is help we'd both gladly give you." Ryoko said in a gentle voice.  
  
"I would only be in the way, there are other ways I can help." Aeka said.   
"We are able to keep in touch via our link."  
  
"I wouldn't want you to feel like your being left out." Tenchi said.   
Memories of Aeka's misgivings about her inadequacies came back. Tenchi squeezed   
her hand lightly. "Never think that, you hear." He told her. Aeka nodded and   
leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder.  
Misaki's eyes were about to spring forth with a shower of tears. "It is   
so lovely that our little girl has found someone who really loves her." She   
gushed.  
  
"This empire needs a compassionate man as its leader." Asuza said, and   
this two wives nodded in agreement.  
  
"Your not leaving the throne that soon are you?" Tenchi asked him in   
sudden surprise.  
  
"Not for a while, and not while this crisis faces Jurai." Asuza replied.   
"But, I want you to promise me Tenchi that if anything ever happens to me I want   
you to lead our people."  
  
"I know your accepting me at your heir, but I don't know if I'm ready for   
anything like that." Tenchi told him. "I know nothing about being an emperor."  
  
"You will learn, Misaki and Fonaho can teach you." Asuza said. A strange   
look came over the faces of the Empress and Queen of Jurai. Tenchi remembered   
it was the same look he got from some of his high school teachers.   
  
[They taught me how to be a princess.] Aeka said to him through their   
link.  
  
[I'm doomed.] Tenchi said.  
  
Sometime later Chairman Zarlova arrived at the throne room. He stopped   
and was surprised to see all the commotion in the chamber. He looked at the   
faces of the people who sat ringed around the three thrones and he recognized   
only Princess Aeka. His eyes glanced over the faces of the others and then they   
locked onto one person in particular and the embers of rage filled his being.  
"What is that creature doing sitting in the presence of the Emperor of   
Jurai?" he asked with disgust on his face. "It should be in chains." He was   
looking straight at Ryoko.  
Tenchi stood up with a uncharacteristically enraged look on his face. The   
triple triangle symbols of the Light Hawk Wings began to appear on his forehead.   
He was about to speak but Emperor Azusa spoke first and with great force in his   
voice.  
"The Lady Ryoko is a member of the Royal Family of Jurai and you shall   
treat her with all the respect and honor that rank is due her." Azusa said, his   
eyes wide with rage.  
Zarlova stepped back a moment. "How can this be?" he asked. "Certainly   
sir you know whom this person is?"  
"Lady Ryoko is not and has never been responsible for the crimes committed   
against Jurai." Misaki spoke this time. "She was the mindless slave of the   
arch-criminal Kagato."  
"Kagato, yes I heard of him, I understand he is dead now." Zarlova said.  
"And the one who defeated him is standing before you now." Emperor Azusa   
told him. "Chairman Zarlova of the Secret Police, this is Lord Tenchi Masaki,   
First Prince of Jurai, and heir to the throne."  
Zarlova's eyes went wide for a moment as he took Tenchi's extended hand   
and shook it.  
"Forgive my outburst, milord." He said. "It has been a stressful day."  
"It has been, for all of us, please sit and join us." Tenchi said to him.  
"I cannot, I came to give you an update milord." Zarlova said as he turned   
to the emperor.  
"What is your report, Chairman?" the emperor asked.  
"Milord, I regret to inform you that Agent Kirasawa has been with an   
unfortunate accident during the raid today." Zarlova told him.  
"Duncan, Duncan Kirasawa?" Sasami asked suddenly with wide eyes.  
"Yes, huh, Lady-" he stammered, not recognizing the young girl.  
"Sasami." She said, and Zarlova's face took on a shocked expression.  
"Lady Sasami, you have certainly grown." He said. "Yes, Agent Duncan   
Kirasawa, did you know him by any chance?"  
Aeka looked at her little sister and she could see the sadness in her   
eyes. She knew all about Sasami and Duncan Kirasawa. "He was the son of a   
Knight of Jurai who served in the Royal Guard, when I was younger his father   
would bring him once in a while with him to the palace to show him what its like   
to be a knight." She said. "I met him one day and we played together, although   
he was a lot older than me he really liked me and liked him a lot too."  
"I give you my condolences, milady." Zarlova bowed.  
"How did your agent die?" Orrin asked.  
"An explosion, a planted bomb as I am told." He said. "I do not believe   
I've been introduced."  
Orrin extended his hand to the man. "Lord Orrin Quintarin of the Setari   
Empire." Orrin told him as he shook Zarlova's hand. Washu watched this exchange   
and she saw something in Orrin's face that disturbed her. She did not know   
Orrin as well as she would have liked but she did notice a sudden look of   
realization on his face. What was that all about, she asked herself.  
"He will be missed." Emperor Azusa said as he looked towards the floor.  
"He was my best agent." Zarlova said as he released Orrin's hand. Washu   
now realized that Orrin would no longer look the man in the face. He had him   
face turn away from Zarlova's. He knows something, she said to herself.  
"What of Captain Ginaro of the Royal Guard?" Azusa asked.  
"It was he who reported Agent Kirasawa's death." Zarlova told him.  
"Thank you." Azusa said.  
"I must be going, we have to try and pick up the pieces of this   
investigation in the light of this terrible loss."  
Azusa nodded. "Quite understandable, thank you Chairman." He said.  
  
The group sat in silence for a moment. All they could do was look at one   
another. Tenchi and Aeka gave Sasami worried looks as the young princess   
quietly wiped tears from her eyes. Aeka shared with Tenchi through their link   
the bond that had formed between Sasami and young teenaged boy that visited the   
palace with his father years ago. He understood and put his hand on her   
shoulder.  
The silence in the room was broken by the sound of a heavy boot hitting   
the floor. It startled them so much that Ryoko leaped up and conjured her   
sword. The source of the sound was a tall man in the garb of a Royal Guard and   
Knight of Jurai. The sash he wore over his chest marked him as the captain of   
the guard.  
"Captain Ginaro, Chairman Zarlova has informed us of the death of Agent   
Kirasawa." The Emperor said.  
"That is why I am here, milord." Captain Ginaro said. "I was listening   
from across the room when he told you."  
"How did it happen?" Sasami asked, her voice crackling.  
"It did not." Ginaro told her.  
"Explain yourself, captain." Misaki demanded.  
"Your lordships, I feel it is best that you see for yourself." He told   
them. "Please follow me." The Captain of the Royal Guard pointed in the   
direction to go and everyone followed him. Azusa and his wives lead the way as   
they walked. The Emperor recognized the entrance to the Royal Guard's sanctuary   
in the palace.  
"Why are we coming here, isn't this the living quarters and hospital for   
the Royal Guard?" Emperor Azusa asked.  
"It is milord, and we have someone here in the hospital you should see."   
Captain Ginaro told him.  
Finally they all stopped at the entrance to a room guarded by two knights.   
They admitted Captain Ginaro and the others into the room. When the Emperor and   
Sasami saw who was on the bed they both gasped.  
"Agent Kirasawa." The emperor said. "But you reported to Chairman Zarlova   
that he was dead."  
"I made no such report, and my men where commanded to give him no such   
information." Captain Ginaro told him.  
"What does this mean?" Aeka asked.  
"Zarlova was lying, when I touched his hand I could feel that he was   
lying." Orrin spoke up.  
"I wondered why you had that strange look on your face." Washu said.  
"Why would Chairman Zarlova lie about this?" Empress Misaki asked.  
"Because he is the leak." Duncan said as he sat up slowly.  
"Don't move so fast, your still recovering." Captain Ginaro told him.  
Sasami was at his side almost immediately. Duncan looked at her for a   
moment and his eyes shot wide open.  
"Tsu-Tsu-Tsu-Tsunami." He said in near shock.  
"No, its me, your little fountain girl." She told him.  
Sudden recognition of the name hit him and Duncan looked at her again. He   
could not believe what he was seeing. The last time he had seen Princess Sasami   
was long, long ago when his late father used to take him to the palace with him.   
Even if it was her she could not possibly be this old yet, he said to himself.  
"It can't be, you were a little thing back then, barely a toddler." He   
said. "And I was still attending school."  
"Its me." She told him, slowly batting her eyes at him.  
"You are so, so, beautiful." He said. He did not know what else to say to   
describe just how incredibly beautiful she was becoming. "You look like,   
Tsunami."  
Sasami giggled and blushed a little. This warmed Duncan's heart, this was   
more like the girl he remembered. "And your very hansom as a young man." She   
told him.  
"Would you two like to be alone?" Ryoko asked.  
"Pardon me for not bowing, milord, but I'm not in the best of conditions   
for walking right now." Duncan said to Emperor Azusa. "May I ask why there are   
so many people in the room?"  
"Duncan, this is Lord Tenchi Masaki, First Prince of Jurai, Lady Aeka   
Masaki, Second Princess of Jurai, Lady Ryoko Masaki, Third Princess of Jurai-"   
Emperor Azusa was saying but Duncan interrupted him. "Ryoko?" he asked. "The   
Ryoko?"  
"Yes, she is now married to Lord Tenchi and a member of the Royal Family."   
He told Duncan.  
"On behalf of the people of Jurai I welcome you Lady Ryoko, there are some   
who might not be happy at your arrival and now position but I am pleased to meet   
you." Duncan said as he looked at her directly. The words almost brought tears   
to Ryoko's eyes.  
"That means a great deal to me." She said and meant it.  
"Heard the story of how you were under the control of a very dangerous   
criminal when you attacked Jurai." He said. "I heard that man was Kagato, and   
if half of what I heard about him were true I can see why he was able to do it."  
"Well, Kagato is just one of our problems, here and now." Tenchi said.  
"What, the rumors have it that you killed Kagato in orbit of your   
homeworld." Duncan said looking surprised.  
"That's what I thought." Replied Tenchi.  
"Let us get back to the subject, if you did not tell Zarlova that Duncan   
was killed then how did he know about him being in an accident?" Emperor Azusa   
asked the Royal Guard Captain.  
"Simple, he was the only one outside of yourself and Captain Ginaro who   
knew where we were going for the raid." Duncan said.  
"We suspected we had a leak in the palace, but I never imagined it would   
be within our own Secret Police." Queen Fonaho said.  
Washu called up her holocomputer and started typing at it furiously.   
"What are you up to, dear heart?" Orrin asked her as he sidled in behind her to   
read over her shoulder.  
"Maybe our friend Zarlova has done more than give information to the   
terrorists." She said.  
"You don't think that he has been giving money and resources to them,   
too?" Fonaho asked.  
"The bomb they used to try and trap us had parts that looked like standard   
issue Secret Police electronics." Duncan told them.  
"Hmm. Either he hasn't or he's covered his tracks pretty damn good."   
Washu said. "I am showing several erroneous withdraws from the Secret Police   
treasury, but the ID code used doesn't belong to Zarlova." She said.  
"Who does it belong to?" Emperor Azusa asked her.  
"The Imperial Treasurer." She said.  
"But, I'm the Imperial Treasurer as well as the Empress, and I am no   
traitor." Misaki told them.  
"Your honor and dignity is not in question here, milady." Captain Ginaro   
told her with a smile on his face.  
"It's obviously a forged ID, but we need to catch the bastard in the act   
to prove its him." Washu said. "The withdraws appear to occur on a regular   
basis, and if he follows his regular pattern then another withdraw will be made   
in about twenty four hours."  
"The Darkness could be making planet fall in twenty-four hours." Orrin   
told her.  
"Hakuda, the leader of the terrorists, looks exactly like Prince Yosho."   
Duncan told him.  
Katsuhito has remained silent through most of the conversation. He was   
content to listen and interject his own opinions when necessary, but now he   
stood up and walked over to Duncan's bed.  
"Tell me of this Hakuda." He said to him.  
"I'm sorry, you are?" Duncan asked.  
"Prince Yosho." Yosho said as he extended his hand.  
Duncan looked from Yosho to Sasami and back again. "I don't get it, she's   
older than she should be, and so are you." He said.  
"It is rather a long and complicated story." Yosho told him.  
"I'm getting a headache." Duncan mumbled.  
Emperor Azusa put his hand to his face. "Zarlova, a traitor, I've known   
the man most of my life." He said with an exasperated voice.  
"It is possible he is not acting according to his own will." Orrin said.  
"Orrin told me that the Darkness has the power to control the minds of   
others, but they were not able to control our minds." Washu added.  
Tenchi held up his wrist and shoed off the gem that hung there on a thin   
bracelet. "Because of these, they were a gift to me from my mother." He said.  
"The Tears of Jurai." Emperor Azusa said with wide eyes.  
"I beg your pardon." Washu said. She looked up from her holocomputer at   
the sound of the name.  
"Those are the Tears of Jurai, ancient relics from our distant past that   
have been lost for thousands of centuries." The Emperor said.  
"They were already on Earth when I arrived." Yosho explained. "A local   
priest had them, and gave them to me when I married his daughter as a dowry. I   
kept them, eventually giving them to Achika as a wedding gift when she married   
Tenchi's father Noboyuki."  
"They protected us from being controlled by the Darkness." Aeka said.  
"Then keep them, anything that will give us and advantage over these   
hellish monsters." Misaki said. Emperor Azusa and Queen Fonaho both nodded in   
agreement.  
"Can I ask one question, what is the Darkness?" Duncan asked.  
Orrin walked over Duncan's bed and looked him in the eyes. "The greatest   
threat to the very existence of this universe that ever been seen." He said.  
"And, they are behind the terrorists?" Duncan asked.  
"Yes, it's a part of their unique plan to destabilize Jurai so it can be   
conquered easier." Orrin answered.  
Duncan tried to get up out of his bed. Sasami tried to stop him but he   
grabbed her hand before she could. "I have to get out of this bed." He said.   
"I'm no good to anyone just lying around."  
"There is a different, your recovering from severe radiation burns-"   
Captain Ginaro told him.  
"So, my father was burned by a massive plasma explosion at Punta-Hai, and   
you didn't see him falter." Duncan shot back.  
"Punta-Hai is also where your father died in the line of duty." Ginaro   
replied.  
Washu went back to looking at her console. She started to hack into the   
palace computer system again like she did earlier. She started to see various   
unusual things, there were missing entries in the system logs, and someone also   
setup a dummy user account with unlimited access and no command logging.  
"Damn, this guy is good." She said.  
"Pardon?" Fonaho asked, and everyone went silent and looked over at Washu.  
"Those transactions are dummies, they do not exists." Washu said. "I   
found missing entries in the system logs, a dummy user account with unlimited   
access and the command logging disabled, and somebody is accessing it right   
now."  
"Can you pin-point what terminal they are at?" Orrin asked.  
"One sec, hmmm, yes I have it." She said. "Terminal AA-23."  
  
Captain Ginaro sprinted from the room with Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko   
following close behind him. The Captain of the Royal Guard barked orders into   
this wrist communicator and suddenly the halls were filled with dozens of Royal   
Knights. Ginaro knew the layout of the entire royal palace like it was the back   
of his hand. He knew the exact location of everything from the largest wall   
mural to the smallest picture frame. He also knew the location of every data   
terminal in the palace. AA-23 was located in the private living quarters of the   
Royal Family itself, a section of the palace that was accessible only to those   
were members of the Royal Family of Jurai or the trusted members of the Royal   
Guard. The Guardsmen who watched over the entrance to those hallowed halls   
stepped aside as Ginaro and the others rushed past.  
"Let no one else leave, besides myself and those with me." He ordered as   
he raced past. The two Guardsmen saluted to him in acknowledgement.  
AA-23 was located in a small room in one of the many towers hollowed out   
of many of the massive trunks of the great tree the palace was built inside of.   
The walls, floor and ceiling looked like wood but were harder than the hardest   
metal in the galaxy. The wood also had not been so much carved but was shaped   
out of the wood by the will of the tree and the great architect who built the   
great palace long ago.  
When they stopped the terminal was still on but it was not logged in.   
Ginaro took something out of one of the many pouches on his belt and held it up   
to his eyes. He looked at the keyboard of the console and hrmphed.  
"He isn't far, the heat residue from his fingers are still on the keys."   
He said.  
"What is that?" Tenchi asked him.  
"Infrared detector." Ginaro told him as they hurried from the room and   
back down the hall.  
"Ginaro, Tenchi, come in this is Washu." Washu's voice said over Ginaro's   
wrist communicator.  
"We hear you, Miss Washu." Ginaro replied.  
"I've tapped into the internal security system for the palace." She said.   
Ginaro's eyes went wide that someone was able to get past the security features   
of the palace computers so quickly. "There is an infrared heat source not 50   
meters ahead of you and moving fast." She continued.  
"Thank you, he's mine." Ginaro said and he lowered his head and charged   
forward.  
  
Chairman Zarlova had been sitting at the data console in question when his   
wrist communicator went off. He looked at the small display and saw the   
flashing red symbol. He quickly punched up a specific page of information on   
the terminal. The data he saw made his blood run cold. Someone has figured him   
out and was able to access the transaction transcripts created when he   
transferred funds to Hakuda from the Secret Police accounts. He was not sure   
who had done this and how they were able to track them down. The system logs   
were deactivated when he did the transactions, but other systems still made   
records of amounts transferred. A second page of information appeared and he   
almost panicked. A security feature he had written into the system was designed   
to warn him if someone had a trace on his console. That was just what was   
happening at that moment. He just had enough time to log off the system when he   
heard the sound of heavy boots running down the hallway. Now he was running for   
his life with someone running fast behind him.  
Zarlova ran down several hallways, but everywhere he went his pursuers   
were right behind him. It was then that he knew they were using the internal   
security system to locate him. He had to get out of the hallways. Quickly he   
headed for one of the service tunnels that ran through the walls of the palace.   
These tunnels hid the inner workings of the plumbing, electronics, and sewage   
system the palace from view. Only specific personnel were allowed because of   
the danger they could pose to the Royal Family. Zarlova was one of those people   
who had access.  
"Someone using Zarlova's security access ID just entered the service   
tunnel at junction B2-A7." Washu announced over the communicator.  
"That way!" Ginaro shouted and pointed down a left side corridor.  
They reached the semi-hidden hatch, Ginaro accessed the controls, and they   
were inside and running again. Zarlova could hear the sound of running feet   
behind him again. Who is following me, he asked himself, whoever they are they   
are good at this.  
Zarlova saw the break he needed, the service lift to the lower levels of   
the palace where it turned into a virtual maze of tunnels and dead ends. He   
mapped out the entire place many years ago and could easily find all the hidden   
exits, and caches of food and weapons he put down there just in case something   
similar this ever happened.  
He reached the lift, pressed the button and heard a voice at the end of   
the tunnel yell out, "Freeze Zarlova!"  
Zarlova turned around and saw Captain Ginaro running down the tunnel.   
Just as the Captain was about to reach him, the door to the lift opened, Ginaro   
leapt inside, and pressed the button for the bottom floor. The door closed   
quickly and Ginaro slammed his fists against them. "Dammit!" he yelled.  
"Where is Ryoko?" Tenchi asked. He, Ginaro, and Aeka looked around and   
found that Ryoko was missing.  
The lift stopped at the bottom floor and Zarlova could not wait for the   
doors to open. As they did a slender arm reached in and grabbed him by the   
collar with incredible strength.  
"Going somewhere?" Ryoko asked him as she raised her other hand and   
punched him in the face. The force of the blow sent Zarlova flying into the   
back wall of the service lift. Shortly after, Tenchi and the others heard the   
service lift come back up. The doors opened to reveal Ryoko standing with a   
very unconscious Zarlova slung over her shoulder.  
"You're an amazing woman, Lady Ryoko." Ginaro said with a smile.  
"She sure is." Tenchi and Aeka both said at the same time.  
"Did you get him, hey, somebody answer me!" Washu shouted over Ginaro's   
wrist communicator.  
"We have him Miss Washu, we're going to the brig." He told her.  
"Good, good, we're on our way with the Emperor and the others." Washu   
replied.  
  
Part Two - New bonds are formed...  
  
Several Royal Guardsmen stood outside the hospital room where Chairman Zarlova   
was being kept. He was still unconscious from being sucker punched by Ryoko.   
Everyone was gathered in the room waiting for the man to wake up so they could   
question him. Washu and Orrin were examining him. The genius and her boyfriend   
were huddled behind her computer looking over medical readouts. Occasionally   
they would hold each other's hand and softly message each other's fingers.  
"They are truly in love, aren't they?" Fonaho asked Tenchi as she looked   
at the two examining the traitor.  
"I'm happy for Washu, she deserves someone who will treat her as good as   
he does." He said.  
"Why don't we just wake the jerk up and make him tell us where those   
assholes are?" Ryoko asked. She was seated next to Tenchi while Aeka stood near   
the window and looked out to see the devastation of the capital city.  
"Because you hit him so hard it caused his brain to swell, and if we try   
to wake him up he could suffer brain damage." Washu told her.  
"And that's a bad thing." Ryoko replied.  
"Yes, because if he's brain damaged he might not be able to tell us what   
we want to know about this Hakuda fellow." Orrin said.  
Darius and Yuko walked into the room and stood next to Tenchi and the   
others. "Who are they?" Misaki asked.  
"Orrin's son and daughter." Tenchi told her.  
Darius looked at the other people in the room. There was his father and   
Washu, whom was now in adult form, and the others he only knew by name but had   
never spoken to them before. His eyes fell crossed the faces of Ryoko and Aeka   
and he wished they weren't married, but the two were standing on either side of   
their husband Tenchi. Across the room, sitting my herself was a vision of   
loveliness that took his breath away. The sad forlorn look on her face made his   
heart drop. How could such a beautiful creature look so sad. Darius had   
inherited his father's taste for fine women, but something inside him suddenly   
changed when he saw this beautiful blonde woman sitting alone on the verge of   
tears. It was something deep inside his soul. His attention was immediately   
brought back to reality by the elbow of his sister. She saw the look on his   
face and followed his gaze to the blonde woman, and she immediate put two and   
two together.  
"Who's the guy in the bed?" Darius asked.  
"The former Chairman of the Juraian Secret Police." Tenchi told him. "He   
has been leaking information and money to the enemy."  
"Hmm. I bet they put a brain leach on him." Yuko said.  
"Where would they get a brain leach, they come from our universe." Yuko   
rebuked him.  
"It was just a thought, don't bite my head off." Darius replied with a   
hurt look on his face.  
Orrin looked over at his children and then looked at Zarlova. He walked   
over to the man laying on the bed and lift up his head. Slowly he reached his   
hand down to the base of Zarlova's head. He quickly grabbed something, there   
was a small squealing noise, and he yanks hard on something. He turns around   
holding something in this hands and yelled, "Washu, I need a specimen jar or   
anything with a locking seal."  
With one touch of a button a black portal opens up next to the genius and   
she pulls out a clear specimen jar with a locking container. Orrin drops the   
object in his hands into the jar and closes it quickly just before the object   
tried to jump back out.  
Everyone gathered around to see what it was he had, and the women all   
leaped back in disgust at the hideous worm like creature that wriggled around   
inside.  
"Well, well, well, a brain leach." Darius said, and he looked over at his   
sister who promptly folder her arms in disgust.  
"What the hell is that disgusting thing?" Ryoko asked.  
Orrin handed the jar to Washu who promptly decided to do experiment on it   
later. She dropped it into another black portal she conjured up from her   
console.  
"A Brain Leach." He explained. "An example of Darkling biotechnology, it   
is used to control the minds of people from a long range."  
"So Zarlova did these things not of his own will?" Azusa asked him.  
"Zarlova was a pawn of the Darkness the entire time I suspect." Orrin told   
him.  
"Then he is not a traitor after all." Fonaho said.  
Orrin looked at the man who was still unconscious on the bed. "He will   
remember everything, so he will still be an invaluable source of information for   
us." Orrin explained.  
  
Zarlova slowly opened his eyes and immediately closed them because of the   
bright lights. His head was pounding but he could feel the numbing effects of   
painkillers starting to course through his system. He opened his eyes again and   
looked around at his surroundings. He was in a hospital room somewhere on the   
palace grounds. He immediately figured that he was in the Royal Guard's   
hospital. He tried to sit up but a firm hand pressed down on his chest and held   
him there.  
"Don't try to move, you're suffering a mild concussion." Said a voice that   
sounded like the young prince he met that day.  
"What happened to me?" he asked.  
"The young Princess Ryoko got a little too frisky and punched your lights   
out." Came a voice that sounded like Professor Washu's. "But I think you'll   
recover."  
"You'll be better too since we got rid of that brain leach." Orrin added.  
Zarlova was not certain what that last statement was about but he suddenly   
received flashbacks in his mind. He watched as if he were in the third person,   
he watched all that he had done while under the control of the brain leach, the   
destruction of the capital city, and the chase in the palace halls that ended   
with Ryoko plowing her fist into his face on the lower levels. His hands flew   
to his face, tears fell from his eyes, and he cried, "Tsunami, what have I   
done?"  
  
Emperor Azusa sat next to Zarlova's bed and listened to the man telling   
the tale of all the things had had done over the past three months. The list of   
crimes he committed in that time was enough to condemn him to death. Millions   
of Jurai had been sent to support Hakuda and his group. Weapons had been   
illegally transported from store houses to Hakuda's group, and vital information   
concerning critical areas of Juraian security had been leaked to Hakuda. The   
one piece of knowledge that frightened Azusa the most was the fact that Hakuda   
had a detailed layout map of the palace and surrounding grounds. The Emperor   
knew he could not hold his old friend responsible for his action in light of the   
discovery of the brain leach. Azusa had asked everyone to leave the room while   
the spoke with Zarlova, but Tenchi stood in the doorway with the door slightly   
ajar so he could listen.  
"How can you forgive me for what I've done?" Zarlova asked Azusa. "I've   
sold you and the royal family out to a cut throat who will do anything to have   
the throne for himself."  
"You were not in your right mind when you did those things, you were being   
controlled by some thing they put on you." Azusa told him. "Its been removed   
and Washu and Lord Orrin tell me you will have a full recovery."  
Zarlova put his face in his hands and wept. Azusa almost came to tears   
for the sake of his old friend and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
Tenchi slowly closed the door to the room and turned to Aeka who was   
standing behind him.  
"He's taking this pretty bad." Tenchi told her. "He feels really guilty   
about what he did."  
"It is not his fault what he did, much like Ryoko, they were both used as   
pawn for powerful men's attempt to achieve power." She replied. Tenchi put his   
arm around his wife's waist and drew her close to him.  
"This is one hell of a homecoming." He said.  
"It could be worse." She said, and all Tenchi could do was nod in   
agreement as they walked down the hall together.  
  
Mihoshi has been given her own room in the palace. It was a servant's   
quarters, but it was still lavish compared to her room on the Yagami. She   
dropped her carryall on the floor and sat down on the bed. She had been silent   
through everything that had happened since the crash on that planetoid-ever   
since she learned that Kiyone was gone. Kiyone was Mihoshi's world, she was her   
support, her guidance, her life. Now she was gone, probably dead, and she was   
all alone. It was the first time she had been alone in years since Kiyone   
showed up on Earth after being rescued. Mihoshi remembered how so happy she was   
to see her old partner's face again when she approached the house. She ran to   
her old friend and hugged her so tight she nearly passed out from oxygen   
depravation.  
The beautiful blond GP officer picked up her carryall. It was small and   
contained only what little she was able to grab from her and Kiyone's room   
before the ship went down. One of the items she grabbed was a picture of her   
and Kiyone in full dress uniform. They were standing with their arms around   
each other's shoulders and smiling for the camera. The photo had been taken by   
a tourist on one of the planets they visited on their vacations. The young man   
thought they were both so beautiful, and Kiyone had flirted with him a little,   
but he seemed more drawn to her. In fact, whenever she and Kiyone ever went out   
the guys usually paid her more attention then they did Kiyone. She realized   
that she was very pretty, and she was clumsy and absentminded but she was not   
stupid like many thought her to be. Mihoshi set the photo by the bed and stared   
at it for a while. Before long she couldn't stare at it any longer, turned it   
face down and threw herself onto the bed and started crying. It was at that   
moment that the young GP officer realized that she left the door to her room   
open. As she got up and dried her eyes she notice someone standing in the   
doorway.  
"Oh, hello." She said in surprise and little bit of embarrassment.  
Darius had been wandering the halls of the great palace and was marveling   
at the wonderful sights. He was walking down one hallway when he heard the   
sound of crying and he decided to check on it. He found the young blond women   
who had been with Tenchi and others but had stayed quite most of the time.  
"Are you alright?" he asked her. My God, she's a Goddess, he said to   
himself. He could not believe that a women so beautiful was in a room by   
herself crying.  
"I'll be fine, I've been alone before, its not like we haven't been   
separated before." She said before closing eyes and letting the tears flow in   
torrents again.  
"I can't believe that a guy would actually leave a beautiful women like   
you behind." He told her, and he immediate berated him. Dammit, she'll think   
I'm trying to come onto her, he thought. But you are trying to come on to her   
stupid, he added to his thoughts.  
"I don't have a boyfriend, I'm talking about Kiyone." She told him.  
"Who is Kiyone?" Darius asked as he stepped into the room.  
Mihoshi picked up the picture and showed it to him. "She was my partner   
in the Galaxy Police for many years, we're best of friends and I can't stand it   
when we're apart."  
Please, for the love of God don't let her be a lezbo, he prayed silently   
to himself.  
"She seems very special to you." He said.  
"She's like a sister to me." Mihoshi told him. "I love her like she WAS   
my own sister."  
"What happened to her?" Darius asked her.  
"She was t-t-t---" she said, but started sobbing. "T-T-T-aken by those   
Darkling things.  
Darius grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. "I'm so sorry to hear   
that." He said honestly. Poor thing, he said to himself.  
"I'm so scared, what going to happen to us, those things were so   
horrible." She cried and she flung her arms around his neck. This is too easy,   
he said to himself.  
Mihoshi pulled away suddenly with a very red face. "I'm so sorry, I'm so   
used to doing that to Kiyone."  
"It's ok." Darius replied. "What guy wouldn't want a beautiful woman put   
her arms around him." He said.  
Mihoshi gave him a strange look. "Your not trying to get into my pants   
are you, guys are always paying more attention to me and not enough to Kiyone."   
She told him.  
Darius did a Tenchi Maneuver, scratching the back of his head. "Well,   
I'll be honest with you, I think your the most beautiful woman I've ever seen   
and I can't help but tell the truth." He said and surprise himself because he   
was being honest.  
"Ryoko and Aeka are way better looking than I am." She said, blushing at   
the compliment. She noticed for the first time that this young man was very   
hansom himself. She remembered him as Orrin's son and she was able to see some   
resemblance of him in the young man's face. He was a bit young, but he was tall   
and wall built. There was something about the way he looked at her earlier in   
Zarlova's hospital room. Was it pity, no, lust, maybe, compassion, longing,   
sadness, ---love.  
"They are really pretty, and married, but your---indescribably beautiful."   
He told her and almost went into a meditative state as he spoke. Each word that   
came from his lips came straight from his heart. "Your kind of beauty is like   
the stars at night, so bright and beautiful. Your hair is like the finest of   
gold, as if each fine strand was drawn by the gods themselves. Your eyes are   
like brilliant blue sapphires listening in the sunlight. When I first saw you I   
couldn't believe anyone could possibly be---"  
Darius did not get to finish what he was saying. He was knocked,   
literally, out of his revere and onto the floor by Mihoshi. She was breathing   
heavily, straddled his stomach, grabbed his shirt front, and said in a soft   
voice, "Shut up and make love to me, now."  
  
Yuko was walking through the palace looking for her brother. She wanted   
to keep an eye on him. There were a lot of very pretty young servant girls   
walking the halls and she didn't want him getting into trouble. She made her   
way to a place she knew was near where one of Tenchi's friends was given a room.   
As she passed a closed door she heard a sound like that of her brother's voice.   
She stopped to listen at the door and she clearly heard his voice on the other   
side, but she also heard another voice-a screaming voice.  
"Oh, god, don't stop Darius, don't stop!" the voice cried.  
That dirty rotten male chauvinist pig, she said to herself. Not more than   
three hours here and he's already gone somebody in the bed. "I hope you get the   
crabs, asshole!" she shouts as the door and walked off.  
  
Duncan Kirasawa opened his eyes and noticed his eyelids were not so tight   
anymore. The dermal regeneration was starting to kick in and his skin was going   
back to normal. He turned his head and his eyes went wide as he saw Princess   
Sasami sleeping in a chair next to him bed. Duncan sat up and stretched his   
muscle to get the stiffness out of them.  
The young secret police agent looked at the sleeping princess and marvel   
at how beautiful she has grown. He could remember the days when he was a young   
boy following behind his father. His father was a knight in the Royal Guard, a   
position of great honor and power that only the best of the best could ever   
earn. While his father was off to different duties in the palace he would   
wander about. He remembered the first time he saw the young Princess Sasami.   
She was short with two large pony tails that coming out of either side of her   
head. She was playing with a strange white haired creature that had four legs   
and a very long body. She saw him and her eyes lit up. A kind of strange   
chemistry formed between the two and they played together in the garden outside   
the palace.  
Years passed and they became older and closer, then Ryoko's attack came   
and it changed both their lives. Sasami left with her older sister to find   
Prince Yosho, and his father went on a mission that would prove to be his last.   
He never thought he would ever meet that pretty young girl again, and now here   
she was, but she was no longer a little girl. She was now a beautiful young   
woman.  
Sasami stirred and opened her eyes. She saw Duncan looking at her and she   
blushed crimson. Duncan remembered that she always did blush whenever I looked   
at her, even when we were little.  
"Are you feeling better?" she asked. Her voice to Duncan sounded like the   
voice of an angel.  
"A lot better." He told her. "Say, what happened with Zarlova, did you   
catch him?"  
"Ryoko caught him, but it turns out the Darklings were controlling his   
mind." Sasami explained. "At least that is how Aeka explained it."  
"I knew he wouldn't sell out the Emperor on his own." Duncan said.  
"Aeka said he was really sad about it." Sasami told him.  
"Have you been sitting there all this time?" Duncan asked her, and Sasami   
blushed furiously.  
She nodded. "I remember when we used to play together in the garden   
before you left with your sister." Duncan said.  
Sasami shift around in her seat so she could face him. "Those were my   
favorite times of the day." She told him.  
"We really had a lot of fun in those days, didn't we?" he asked her.  
Sasami nodded and smiled warmly. "I really missed you, even when we were   
on Earth I wondered what happened to you." She said.  
Duncan remembered the night before she left to go into space with her   
sister. His father was preparing to leave on a special mission that was top   
secret, and he went with him to the palace. The damage from the fighting had   
not been cleaned up yet, and much of planet Jurai was still in ruins.  
The two sat together next to a water fountain in the garden that was no   
longer working. He had joked with her about being a Fountain Girl because of   
her blue pony tails, but somehow she didn't seem to mind at all. Then, he   
remembered what they said to each other before he left to find his father.  
"I love you, Sasami." He said to her.  
"I love you, Duncan." She said to him.  
He reached into his picket and pulled out a rainbow stone, a colorful   
mineral that could be found in the wildernesses of Jurai. He handed it to her   
and closed her tiny fingers around it. "When you look at this, remember me, and   
remember that I will always love you and I will be waiting for you." He told   
her.  
"I promise that one day I will be back, and I will find you and we will be   
happy together." The young princess said as she began to cry. Young Duncan had   
put his arms around the tiny princess, and on that dark star filled night they   
shared their first kiss.  
Sasami reached into her kimono and look out a small leather pouch. She   
untied the drawstrings and emptied the contents into her hand. Duncan   
recognized the shiny surface of the rainbow stone he had given her so many   
centuries ago. "I kept this near my heart all these years." She said.  
"You remember." He said. It was more a statement than a question.  
"Do you remember our promise to one another?" she asked him.  
Duncan nodded.  
"I still love you." She told him.  
Duncan wanted to say, but we were only children then, we were young,   
practically babies, but his heart would not let him. Slowly he reached out and   
touched the hand that held the stone he had given her so long ago. Her skin was   
so soft, he marveled. Duncan looked up at the young princess' eyes and found   
himself lost in their infinite beauty.  
"I still love you, too." He told her.  
Sasami stood up out of her seat and wrapped her arms around Duncan. The   
young man put his arms around her and he held her tight. It felt so good to   
hold her again after so long. He looked into her face and saw tears threatening   
to stream forth. Then, for the second time in their lifetime the two shared a   
kiss. This time it wasn't the hesitant, haphazard kiss of two young children   
but the loving, passionate kiss of two adults deeply in love.  
"We certainly picked a good time to reunite. We parted during a time of   
peril to Jurai, and now we're reunited during a time of peril." Duncan laughed.  
"We can face it together this time." Sasami said softly.  
The two suddenly looked up when they heard a sound at the door. Ryoko   
stood in the doorway with her arms folded. "So, this is why you wanted to stay   
behind." She said.  
"Well, Ryoko, you see, ah." Sasami stammered.  
"Relax, I'll keep it a secret until you feel it the right time to let Aeka   
know." Ryoko told her.  
Sasami sighed with relief. "Thanks, she still treats me like I'm still a   
little girl." Sasami replied.  
"Only a few days ago you were only a little girl." Ryoko told her before   
fading away.  
"What did she mean by that?" Duncan asked.  
Sasami looked into Duncan's eyes. "I love you, so I will keep no secrets   
from you." She said. "There is something about me you need to know about."  
She explained what happened the day of Ryoko's attack. She explained   
everything about Tsunami, the assimilation, and her recent transformation. She   
told him all of her secrets. When she was done she looked at him with a little   
bit of fear. She did not know if Duncan was going to reject her that he knew   
the truth. Instead, the young man held her tighter in his arms.  
"You've been facing this all alone all these years." He said. "You said   
that your assimilation is not yet finished?"  
"Tsunami said it would be soon." Sasami told him.  
Duncan kissed her softly on the lips again and said, "We will face this   
together then."  
Sasami hugged him tightly and cried, "Oh, Duncan, I love you."  
"I love you too." He replied softly into her ear.  
Slowly they laid down on the hospital bed in each others arms and quickly   
drifted off to sleep comforted by each other's touch.  
  
It was starting to get late in the royal palace. Emperor Azusa had dinner   
setup in the royal dinning room in the section of the palace that was only for   
the royal family. Everyone was gathered there, however. It was the first time   
in many years that the great room had been used for family dinners, and the   
royal family had certainly grown in the past few weeks. Tenchi sat between his   
two wives, Yosho sat next to Yuko, Darius sat with Mihoshi, Sasami sat next to   
Duncan Kirasawa and Orrin sat next to Washu.  
Aeka did not have to hear it from Ryoko to know that something had   
occurred between her sister and Agent Kirasawa. She knew the two had been   
playmates when they were children, but she did not know how deeply her sister   
felt for him until she saw her reaction to seeing the young man still alive.   
Seeing how the two converse with one another and the loving looks they gave each   
other as they ate told her all she needed to know. Aeka was very protective of   
her little sister, but there came a time when you had to let go. Aeka made the   
decision to do just that in this case.  
  
"I wish we could all have come together like this under better   
circumstances." The emperor said with great sadness on his face.  
"It was unavoidable, your majesty." Orrin told him. "But, if we work   
together we can do this without a threat hanging over our heads."  
"Ryoko, your mother tells me your pregnant." Fonaho spoke up.  
Ryoko turns blood red, puts down her fork and looks at her plate. She   
noticed that her appetite has been growing the past couple of days. It had also   
been some time since her mother had given her a checkup.  
"Yes, I am." Ryoko replied.  
Misaki clapped her hands together in front of her and smiled. "Oh, that   
is so wonderful!" she cried. "Its been so long since we heard the sound of   
little feet pitter pattering through the halls of the palace."  
"If your pregnant, is it not dangerous for you go into a fight right now?"   
Emperor Azusa asked her.  
"Well-" Ryoko started to reply but Washu cut her off. "After a careful   
examination I found that Ryoko's fetus shares her healing abilities, and could   
also share some of Tenchi's powers as well." The red haired genius said.  
Azusa turned his attention to Orrin and he asked him, "I want your honest   
opinion, Lord Orrin, do we really have a chance to fight off these Darklings if   
they attack?" Everyone grew silent, they knew the conversation at the table   
would sooner or later turn to the war that was coming, like it or not.  
"In your current state your forces would be crushed like so many dried   
leaves." Orrin told him, his face not betraying any emotion. "The Elo'Quin at   
the height of their empire spanned over five galaxies and had a fleet that was   
one million times more powerful than yours, and the Darkness crushed them in   
three years."  
Azusa looked at Orrin in horror and then looked down at his hands. "How   
were you ever able to defeat them, how can anyone defeat such a powerful enemy?"   
he asked.  
"It is not impossible." Orrin explained. "The Elo'Quin were proud, they   
believed they were indestructible, they believed that no force in the universe   
could harm them. They were disorganized during the first half of the war, but   
by the time they realized that the Darkness were nearly a match for them it was   
already to late. We had an advantage against the Darkness because we were able   
to take the lessons the Elo'Quin learned and put them to use. That is why we   
were able to defeat them, but it was a very difficult and hard fought victory   
and it cost us dearly. It cost me my beloved wife, and it nearly cost us the   
planet Earth. Jurai is no different, learn from our mistakes, learn from what   
we did to succeed, and Jurai can survive the apocalypse that is coming."  
"I prey to Tsunami that you are right." Azusa said.  
  
Part Three - Kiyone in the Land of Nightmares...  
  
Kiyone sat up and immediately regretted doing so as pain shot through her   
entire body. She laid back down and opened her eyes. She was in a darkened   
room, she could see dozens of dark shapes huddled on the floor, and strange   
alien sounds in the background. The smell of stale vomit and blood filled the   
air making her crinkle up her nose.  
"She's awake." Someone said to right.  
Kiyone slowly turned her head and found herself looking into the dirty   
smudged face of little girl. Her eyes were pink like Sasami's and her hair was   
bright purple, and her eyes may have once been bright and cheerful but now they   
look haunted and tired.  
Another person appeared in Kiyone's vision, an elderly looking woman with   
wise but very sad eyes. She gently touched the little girl on the should and   
she moved aside to let the old woman set next to Kiyone.  
"How are you feeling, dear." She asked.  
"Like hell." Kiyone said.  
"I doubt that, dear." The old woman said. "For this place IS hell."  
"Who are you?" Kiyone asked.  
The old woman picked up a steel bowl filled with murky water and wrung out   
a small rag in it. She then proceed to wipe Kiyone's face with it. "I am   
Shoudowa of the Owasso." The old woman told her.  
"The Owasso, those gypsy-like people who travel in caravans across the   
galaxy." Kiyone said.  
"Yes, I was once the Shaman Woman of the Oscoda Clan of the Owasso."   
Shoudowa told her.  
"Where are we?" Kiyone asked her.  
"This is the pit of hell my dear, or at least the closest equivalent to   
it." Shoudowa replied. "I think this is just one of several holding pens, there   
are maybe two hundred of us here."  
"Are you all Owasso?" Kiyone asked. Shoudowa help Kiyone sit up slowly.  
"No, some are from other parts of the galaxy." Shoudowa said.  
"You were all capture by the Darkness also." Kiyone said. It was more a   
statement than a question. Shoudowa looked at her. "So, our unfriendly hosts   
have a name them, Darkness is a fitting one." She said.  
"My name is Kiyone, I'm an officer with the-" Kiyone tried to tell her.  
"The Galaxy Police, I know, I found your identity card." The shaman woman   
said. "There are a few of your fellow GP among us now."  
Kiyone looked around but she was not able to recognize some of the people   
she saw who wore GP uniforms. Some of them looked haggard and their clothes   
were torn. "They come in and choose from the youngest." Shoudowa said. "Older   
ones like me are kept to take care of the others, so they give us food to pass   
around and some water. If you'd like to call it food."  
The shaman woman picked up another steel bowl and handed it to Kiyone. It   
was filled with strange looking pellets of some kind. "I think they are   
nutrient pills or something, they do not taste very good but they keep up   
alive."  
Kiyone picked one up and found it was spongy and damp. She put one into   
her mouth and nearly gagged. Shoudowa smiled warmly and handed her a small   
metal cup of murky water. The water taste oily, but it washed the horrible   
taste of the food away.  
"Thank you." Kiyone told her.  
"Your welcome, dear." Shoudowa replied. The shaman woman placed her hands   
together and said, "I pray to the Great Creator of the Universe that we shall   
all be free of this place soon, Zaloom."  
"Zaloom." Kiyone replied remember it was the Owasso word for Amen.  
"This is my grand daughter Chani, if you need anything let her know and I   
will see what I can do." Shoudowa said patting the little girl next to her on   
the head.  
"Your maybe eight years old?" Kiyone asked Chani.  
Chani nodded. "I'll turn 9 next month." She said.  
"I knew a little girl your age once, her name was Sasami." Kiyone told   
her.  
"Princess Sasami of Jurai?" Shoudowa asked.  
"Yes, I am the friend of Crown Princess Aeka, Princess Sasami, Crown   
Prince Tenchi, and Prince Yosho." Kiyone told her.  
"Your are very blessed." Shoudowa said. "I can feel it about you, you   
have a positive aura about you that tells me you have people who love you   
looking for you."  
"That is probably Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko." Kiyone told her.  
"Ryoko." Shoudowa's eyes went wide with surprise. "Do you mean the   
legendary Ryoko who attacked planet Jurai centuries ago?"  
"One and the same, but she was being mentally controlled at the time."   
Kiyone told her. "She is married to Crown Prince Tenchi now."  
"I never heard of a Prince Tenchi before, I have heard of Lord Yosho."   
Shoudowa said.  
"Tenchi is Yosho's grandson." Kiyone explained. "He's supposed to be the   
chosen champion of Tsunami or something like that."  
Shoudowa's mouth fell open suddenly and her eyes went wide. "Bahawoon,   
the ancient prophesy!" she cried.  
"What do you mean?" Kiyone asked her.  
"It is written, long ago, that a darkness will spread over the galaxy and   
that a warrior will arise clothed in white." Shoudowa said, she seemed to almost   
go into a trance. "At his left shall stand a Princess and Pirate, to his right   
shall stand the one named Tsunami and together they will cleanse the universe."  
"Your people have prophesies about the Darklings?" Kiyone asked her in   
surprise.  
"We thought little of the ancient texts until now." The shaman woman said.   
"I am one of a very few who have kept them alive all these centuries."  
Suddenly the three looked up as they heard the sound of clanking metal and   
the hiss of hydraulics. A large door at the other end of the spacious chamber   
opened and three massive Darklings in their hideous non-humanoid form walked in.   
There were screams as people tried to get away from the beasts, but some who   
tried to run away suddenly stopped in mid stride. Kiyone watched in horror as   
she saw their faces go slack, they turned around, and slowly walked back towards   
the monsters as if they were zombies. She remembered that they were able to   
control the minds of people. This made her immediately reach for her wrist and   
she sigh with relief to find that Tenchi's crystal was still there. It was the   
only think that prevented the creatures from controlling them, or so Washu had   
explained.  
The Darklings picked up their chosen prey and released them from their   
control. The three people, each a woman, screamed out in horror. Their screams   
of horror turned to wails of agony and ecstasy as the creatures began to feed.   
The room was filled with a soft blue light, the three women convulsed as their   
bodies experienced wave after wave of agonizing sensations that could only be   
described as an intense orgasm and immense pain at the same time. The creatures   
did not take all the energy from their victims though, and they dropped them to   
the floor. The three women were unconscious and just lay where they were   
dropped, but they still twitched from time to time as the aftereffects of being   
feed upon by the Darklings hit.  
"When they fed on Chani the first time, I could not watch, and the sound   
of her screams where almost too much for me to bare." Shoudowa said after the   
three creatures left the chamber and closed the hatch behind them.  
"They, they did that to her." Kiyone said nodding towards the little girl   
who was now rocking back and forth with her knees under her chin.  
"Once already, but I know it is only a matter of time before they take her   
again." The shaman woman said. A single tear fell down the old woman's face.  
"You were right, this place is hell." Kiyone told her.  
  
Several hours passed and Kiyone wandered around the large chamber. She   
saw dozens of people huddled together in different places. There were all   
terrified, dirty, and they all looked at her with suspicion and fear. The only   
ones who walked around the chamber were the old ones the creatures charged with   
taking care of the others, and the creatures themselves. Kiyone found a man   
wearing a GP uniform, she looked at his face and her heart leaped. His hair was   
graying and his eyes had a few more crinkles around them then the last time she   
met the man but it was him.  
"Durham, Detective Durham?" she asked.  
The man looked up suspiciously at her, and then his face brightened.   
"Kiyone, is that you?" he asked.  
Kiyone kneeled down next to the man. "Yes, its me." She said.  
"They got you too, eh." Durham said.  
"Me and someone else, but I'm afraid they did something horrible to him,   
more horrible than I can mention." She told him.  
"I've been here for three weeks, and I can tell you more horror stories   
than you'd care to hear." Durham said.  
"So the Shaman Woman of the Owaso named Shoudowa tells me." Kiyone   
replied.  
"She's a kind soul, she checks up on me everyday." Durham said. "I guess   
I'm too old for them to feed, they eat life energy or at least that is what I   
believe they feed on, so my only guess as to why I'm here is because they think   
I have some information they might want."  
"You are a part of the Special Operations Team, that could be true."   
Kiyone said.  
"I've seen them do horrible things, Kiyone." Durham said, his face eyes   
were almost as haunted as the little girl's. "I saw them do indescribable   
things to children. These monsters have no morals, no compassion, no conscience   
whatsoever."  
"Easy, I have friends on the outside looking for me." She told him placing   
a hand on his shoulder. "They are very powerful and they will get all of us out   
of here."  
"Your talking about that kid from that backwater planet who supposedly   
took out Kagato by himself, and that space pirate." Durham asked.  
"His name is Tenchi Masaki, I wasn't there when he fought Kagato but I   
have been him fight these monsters and kill many of them." Kiyone explained.   
"How did you know about Ryoko?"  
"We hear rumors, and I was on one of the committees assembled to go   
through Detective Mihoshi's reports." He said. "She writes in very intricate   
detail, almost too much detail."  
Kiyone could not help but chuckle a little, if only halfheartedly. She   
knew that Mihoshi was not dumb, even though she acted as if she was always   
totally there most of the time. She was clumsy, and one of the luckiest people   
she ever met in her life. She was always able to somehow get out of any   
situation she found herself in, and woe to anyone else who was with her at the   
time. Usually, it was Mihoshi who came through without a scratch.  
"Mihoshi is something else." She said.  
"Listen, I've observed a pattern to these things." Durham told her. "They   
come in three at a time every two hours to feed or whatever it is they do to   
these poor people-"  
"Woah now, I'm not armed, they took my blaster." Kiyone told him.   
"Besides, conventional weapons can't hurt them only magic can."  
"Magic, you really believe in that magic stuff?" Durham asked her with a   
dubious look on his face.  
"Where do you think the Royal Family of Jurai get their powers?" she asked   
him, and realization entered Durham's face. "So that is their little secret."   
He said.  
"Well, that and Jurai is protected by a goddess name Tsunami." She added.  
"Magic, goddesses, and life force vampires...what the hell is this   
universe coming to." The old GP officer sighed.  
"Tenchi and the others are probably looking for me, they have his father,   
but I'm afraid he might be beyond help."  
"Why do you say that?" Durham asked.  
"They made him one of them." She said with a great sadness in her voice.  
"How do they do that?" Durham asked.  
"These things are parasites that enter your body and transform their hosts   
into a form that suits their needs." Kiyone explained.  
"So they did this to your friend's father, and this Tenchi is Crown Prince   
of Jurai?" Durham asked.  
"Yes, he's in line for the throne, and that is probably why, that and   
Kagato is alive and well and become one of them also." Kiyone explained.  
"Fuck." Was all the old officer could say.  
"There is more, these creatures are from an entirely different universe."   
Kiyone explained showing her friend a very serious expression. "They attacked   
planet Earth where I was stationed to keep and eye on the Royal Family members   
living there. We fought them in Washu's subspace lab and had the help of an   
alien prince by the name of Orrin, and he was from the same universe they came   
from. He had experience fighting them once before, so he was able to help us   
defeat their plot to destroy the Earth. The last thing I remember was trying to   
get away from them in Yagami and then after that it's a blank."  
"Where were the others when this happened?" Durham asked.  
"On the Yagami also, we were near a large planetoid and I remember trying   
to get our nose up before...before we crashed..." she said.  
"Could they have survived that crash?" he asked.  
"Its possible, and they had Ryu-Ohki with them so they would have been   
able to leave and continue the trip to Jurai." Kiyone told him.  
"If they do have an edge against these things I hope they are looking for   
you so we can all get out of this hell hold." Durham said while giving his   
friend a tight hug.  
  
Kiyone made her way back to where she had been laying before and found   
Chani sorting out food pellets for her grandmother. She was delicately picking   
up each one and making sure that everyone in the chamber got the same number.  
"Can I help you?" Kiyone asked.  
Chani looked up and smiled at her. "Sure, everyone gets six pellets." She   
said. "Any less and you get hungry too quickly before they bring more in."  
"They sure don't taste too well." Kiyone said.  
"Its the only thing they give us to eat." Chani told her.  
Kiyone help Chani sort out the pellets. They were in a large vat the   
Darklings had brought for Shoudowa to give out. They had filled over two   
hundred metal bowls and several other elderly women came and picked up a bunch   
of them to start handing out.  
"They are people from different Owaso clans, sometimes were don't get   
along very well, but in this situation we are like brothers and sisters now."   
Chani said.  
Kiyone took the child's hands and turned her face to look into hers. "I   
promise, if there is anyway to get off this ship, I will take you with me." She   
told the little girl.  
The child embraced her with tears in her eyes. It was that moment the   
door to the chamber opened. Three Darklings as usual walked into the room.   
Chani's face when blank suddenly and she stood up. Kiyone tried to pull her   
down but the child was already walking forward towards them. One of the   
Darklings transformed into humanoid form and walked towards the little girl.  
"I'll play with this little one." The man/thing said. "Get undressed."  
Kiyone watched in horror as Chani undressed without resistance and then   
lay prone on the floor with her legs spread. She turned around and could not   
watch as the man approached her and lay on top of her. A blue light shown on   
the walls of the chamber and she could hear the child give out little groaning   
sounds. Kiyone put her hand over her mouth and the tears fell from her eyes.  
"Oh, my dear God!" she sobbed into her hands.  
When it was over Kiyone felt a small hand touch her on the shoulder. She   
looked up into the eyes of the little girl, she looked so tired and her   
expression was of someone who had no more fight left in her. "Don't cry,   
Kiyone." She said in a weak voice. The little girl collapsed and Kiyone caught   
her. She realized the child was still naked and had carried her clothes with   
her back to where she was sitting. Kiyone laid her down and dressed the child   
carefully. When she was done she noticed Shoudowa look at her from the across   
the room. She gave Kiyone a very thankful expression and then went back to her   
duties handing out the food pellets.  
  
A few hours later another group of Darklings entered the room. Kiyone   
kept her distance, but one of the hideous creatures look at her. It appeared to   
be slightly frustrated and then stalked up to her. She stepped back and tripped   
over a piece of metal that jutted out of the floor.  
"Why do you not obey my commands?" it asked her in a harsh voice.  
Kiyone looked the think right in the eyes and said in a sarcastic voice,   
"You didn't say anything."  
The creature reached for her and she tried to get away, but it was far to   
fast for her. "You are very pretty and have a sharp tongue." It said.  
Kiyone kicked at its face, but it was no use. She beat her fists against   
its arms and cried out, "Your not feeding on me you son of a bitch."  
"That would please me for you have a strong essence, but I come to take   
you to the Mistress." The creature said.  
"Tell that skanky bitch that she'll get no please from me!" Kiyone yelled   
in its face.  
The creature roared and grabbed Kiyone by the neck. The grip cut off her   
air supply and she couldn't breath. She clawed at its hands, but it was no use.   
Slowly she could feel herself falling into unconsciousness.  
"Never again speak the name of the beloved one in vain again!" the   
Darkling roared.  
In the creature's mind it heard the voice of young girl speak. Her voice   
was calm, but what she said chilled the creature to the bone. [I thank you for   
defending my honor, but if you kill her you will live the rest of your existence   
connected to a pain amplifier set to its maximum setting.]  
The creature instantly released its grip and Kiyone fell to the floor.   
She grasped her neck and rolled around coughing until she was able to breath   
again. Her vision was returning just as the monster picked her up again and   
carried her out of the room. Somewhere off in the room, Shoudowa watched with   
tear filled eyes. She was proud of her new friend for fighting back, but was   
saddened to see her taken away.  
"May the Great Creator of the Universe watch over you, Zaloom." She said   
and made a sign in from on her with her hands.  
  
Part Four - Darkness Purged...  
  
Kiyone did not pay much attention to where she was being taken, she was   
trying to figure out a way out of this. She knew the Regis had some very sick   
tastes, and one of in particular was disgusting. Her thoughts wandered to   
Noboyuki and she wondered what he was doing. She wondered if he was one of the   
many Darklings that came to the chamber to feed, or if he was able to do   
anything like that at all in his early stages. As the Darkling entered the same   
chamber she had been taken to before when the Regis fed on her by kissing her,   
she realized she just might find out. Standing in the middle of the room was   
the Regis and next to her stood Noboyuki. He was still in his younger form, and   
he had a look of anticipation on his face.  
  
"It is as I promised." The Regis said. "She is yours to do with as you   
please, consider her a gift for the deed you will perform for me."  
  
"Thank you, mistress." Noboyuki said. He kneeled down and kissed her   
hand.  
  
"So elegant you are my child." She said with a smile.  
  
The Darkling threw Kiyone down onto the floor and then stepped back. The   
Regis walked to the entrance and looked back. "Have some fun now." She said and   
the door closed behind her.  
Noboyuki advanced on Kiyone and she looked up to see him coming. Her GP   
instincts kicked in and she was on her feet in seconds. She kicked at his face   
but Noboyuki moved with incredible speed and blocked the move with his hand.   
She punched him in the gut, it was a hit that should have made him double over,   
but it did not even faze him in the slightest.  
  
"Noboyuki, you don't want to do this." She said to him as she watched in   
horror as he started to try and pull her clothes off.  
  
"Yes I do." He replied softly, almost seductively. "You want me, don't   
you Kiyone."  
  
Kiyone tried to fight him but the man was incredibly strong and he nearly   
had her breasts exposed. She looked down and noticed a huge bulge forming in   
his pants. She lifted her knee and kicked him where it counts. This had the   
  
desired effect, to her surprise. Noboyuki grabbed his crouch and rolled over on   
the floor in pain.  
"I didn't want to that, but you gave me no choice." She told him.  
Noboyuki was on his feet quickly. He charged at her and plowed her to the   
ground. His face was filled with rage as he grabbed her clothes and started   
ripping them off in pieces. Then, when she was completely naked before him he   
held her down with one hand and started to disrobe himself with the other.  
  
"Stop, please don't do this!" she cried.  
  
He got his pants down and started forcing her legs apart.  
  
"NO!" she screamed knowing what was about to happen to her. Noboyuki   
grabbed her by the hips and prepared to thrust himself into her. At that   
moment, without understanding why, Kiyone reached up softly with her hand and   
touched Noboyuki's face. With tears in her eyes she said, "Noboyuki, please   
don't do this, its not in you to do this."  
Noboyuki stopped, he was physically touching her, ready to plunge inside   
of her, but something deep inside of him made him stop. Kiyone was shaking and   
crying, she softly rubbed her hand on Noboyuki's face.  
  
"Do you remember what we said to one another before we crashed?" she asked   
him sobbing. "Do you?"  
  
Noboyuki did not move or say a thing. His vision started to blur and   
suddenly he was in a different place. Noboyuki was aboard the Yagami, Kiyone   
was at his side. He reached out and took her hand and said, "I love you."  
  
"We told each other we love each other." Kiyone sobbed. "I love you, God   
help me, but I love you."  
  
A bright light flashed in Noboyuki's vision, a searing unimaginable pain   
pierced into his brain as if a red hot brand was being thrust into his gray   
matter. Noboyuki leaped up off of Kiyone's naked body and grabbed either side   
of his face and scream an inhuman roar. His mouth opened and expanded in a way   
that seemed inhumanly possible. A glowing aura of power encircled his body and   
flashes of arcing energy struck the walls leaving black burn marks in their   
wake. Kiyone crawled behind a large piece of furniture and waited it out.  
  
Elsewhere in the ship the Regis had found herself a secluded place. She reached out with her mind and felt for the new Darkling she had recently created, and she found him. She tuned her thoughts to his and watch through his eyes as he attack the young woman and tried to rape her. As Noboyuki ripped Kiyone's clothes off the Regis reached down and felt herself in anticipation of the sensations she would feel through the link. Suddenly, she felt hesitation in her creature at the words Kiyone was speaking...hesitation and confusion. Then she spoke three words, "I love you", and it was as if someone had suddenly send a massive burst of feedback down the link to her brain. The Regis leaped to her feat and clutched her head in agony. She could see nothing but bright white light and she knew she had to escape it or she was finished. The Regis severed the link to Noboyuki and found herself on the floor. She tried to teleport to the room but found that she was unable to. She screamed in rage as the picked herself up off the floor, unsteady at first, and then she started to storm down the corridor. Her anger was so great that at times she partially morphed into her demonic Darkling form and back to humanoid form again.  
  
The lightning and screaming subsided and Kiyone looked up and found Noboyuki laying prone on the floor. Cautiously she crawled her way over to his body and touched his neck to feel for a pulse. She sighed with some relief that he was alive. He stirred and opened his eyes, but they did not have the inhuman expression they had before. These eyes looked at Kiyone with the same love she remembered seeing in them before the Yagami crashed.  
  
"No-No-Noboyuki?" she stammered.  
  
Noboyuki reached out and took Kiyone into his arms. He pressed his lips   
to hers and for a moment she resisted. When they parted he held her close and   
said nothing for several minutes. He released her and she looked at him   
strangely. There was something different about Noboyuki now, the evil look in   
his eye was gone, and he wasn't trying to rape her anymore. Then, when he spoke   
she realized that the real Noboyuki was somehow back in control.  
  
"I love you too." He said.  
  
Kiyone wrapped her arms around him and they kissed again, yet more   
passionately than before. She helped him to his feet and then she blushed when   
she realized he was looking at her naked body.  
"I waited all this time to see you this way and I have to say it was worth   
it." He said. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, and this time   
she did nothing to resist him.  
  
"What happened, you were going to rape the shit out of me a moment ago?"   
she asked him.  
  
"I don't know, it was like I was inside myself but unable to control what   
I was doing." He explained. "I watch everything I did, but I couldn't stop   
myself. I saw what was happening to you and it tried to fight but I couldn't,   
but then you said you loved me and I felt the walls around me weaken and I   
pushed as hard as I could. It was painful and I saw a great deal of light. I   
could feel the thoughts of the hideous thing inside me, but I also felt its   
thoughts being burnt up in the light. When it was over, I was fully aware of my   
surroundings and you came over to me."  
  
"You came back because you love me." Kiyone realized with sudden surprise.  
  
"I hope Achika forgives me, but I do love you...maybe I always have."   
Noboyuki told her.  
  
Kiyone kissed him softly and said, "Somehow I feel that maybe she doesn't   
want you live without someone to love anymore." She kissed him once more.   
"Maybe she sent me." She added before kissing him a third time.  
  
Noboyuki stood up and look at the main entrance to the room. "We have get   
the hell out of here, and fast." He said.  
  
"What is it?" she asked him.  
  
"I can feel her coming, and she is really pissed off." He told her.   
Kiyone did not have to guess who that somebody was. She looked around for a   
quick way out, the only door was the main entrance, but she did see a large air   
vent in the wall on the opposite side of the room.  
  
"This way." She said and pulled Noboyuki along with her.  
  
As they went across the room, she noticed a pair of body suites on the   
wall. They looked like work suites that might have belonged to the former crew   
of this vessel the Darklings were using. She slipped into one and handed the   
other to Noboyuki to put on.  
Kiyone examined the grate over the air duct and found it wasn't bolted in.   
She thank whatever god or gods that were watching over her and pulled at it, but   
it wouldn't budge. Noboyuki gentle move her aside with his hand and almost   
casually pulled the grate off with one finger.  
"Show off." She said as she climbed inside the shaft. Noboyuki followed   
after her and pulled the grating over the shaft behind him.  
A few moments later the Regis stormed into the room. Her eyes were   
glowing red and she immediately started to blast everything in the room with   
bursts of energy. When the stopped and smoke cleared she growled an inhuman   
growl and turned to a Darkling that had followed along after her.  
  
"Find them, find them both and destroy them!" she ordered.  
  
The creature bowed the backed away into the corridor.  
  
It turned out the air duct connected to a central ductwork system that ran   
the entire length of the ship. The headroom was little tight, bur Noboyuki, but   
Kiyone was short enough that she did not have to walk hunched over. She held   
Noboyuki's hand as they cautiously walked along. They peered into every   
junction that ran to the left, right, upwards, and downwards. The sound of   
echoing screams and the moans of people could be hear at one junction.  
  
"This must be the junction that links to the holding cell they kept me in   
for a while." She whispered.  
  
"We can't free everyone." Noboyuki said. "Its just you and me."  
  
"I promised someone I'd get them out if I could." She told him.  
  
Noboyuki sighed, "Alright, but if we meet up with those things we are out   
of here."  
  
At the end of one shaft Kiyone stopped a steel grate. She look through it   
and found the dismal chamber where she and the others were held. Walking among   
the people like a mother hen watching over her chicks was the old shaman woman.  
  
"Shoudowa, Shoudowa." Kiyone whispered.  
  
The old woman turned to look at the grate, turned her head sideways and   
then approached the steel grate. "Kiyone, is that you in there?" she asked in a   
whisper.  
"Yes, we're getting out of here, but we can't free everyone." Kiyone said.   
"We have to come back with reinforcements to do that."  
  
"I can understand that, who is your friend?" she asked.  
  
"This is Noboyuki, something has happened to him, he was one of them but   
somehow he was able to regain control of himself." Kiyone told her.  
Shoudowa closed her eyes and tears fell from them. "Its true, the   
prophesies are coming true, the Creator of the Universe be praised on high." She   
said.  
Kiyone and Noboyuki look at each other and then back at the old woman.   
"It is written in the ancient texts, one will fall into darkness and become a   
beast of darkness, but love will show its guiding light and the one who fell   
into darkness will arise into the light and be awakened." She explained.  
  
"The light, I saw a light." Noboyuki told them.  
  
"You are the one in the prophesy." Shoudowa said looking at Noboyuki.  
  
"Where is Chani?" Kiyone asked.  
  
"Still weak from when they took her last, why?" the shaman woman asked.  
  
Kiyone pushed on the steel grate and it came open easily. "I made a   
promise to her that I intend to keep." She said.  
  
Chani was in a pretty sorry state, she looked haggard and tired but she   
knowing that she would soon be free helped give her the strength she needed to   
keep moving. Noboyuki helped the little girl walk, and eventually ended up   
carrying her. She fell into a fitful sleep in his arms as he Kiyone made their   
way through the air shafts again. It had been a harrowing time getting her into   
the shaft, she didn't want to leave her grandmother behind, but Shoudowa told   
her that she would be safe, and that she would draw strength from the knowledge   
that she was far away from the monsters that imprisoned her and their people.  
At the end of one shaft they could hear the sound of many feet hitting the   
metal floor. "They are searching the air ducts now." Noboyuki said.  
  
"We need to find a hanger bay or launch bay and get off this crate."   
Kiyone said.  
  
"I think its this way." Noboyuki said, pointing down one shaft ahead of   
them. He was sure how he knew that, but it almost as if he'd been there before.   
Sure enough, it was a launch bay filled with all sorts of ships. Some were   
ships that had been captured by the Darkness, and a few were in the process of   
being modified with Darkling technology. One of the ships caught Kiyone's eye,   
it was a small GP shuttlecraft that she knew very well. It was the Yokonogo,   
Mihoshi's shuttlecraft. The ship had been in a docking bay on the Yagami, and   
must have survived the crash. They opened the grate and climbed out. They did not get much time to check to see if anyone was about as two Darklings appeared in front of them.  
  
"Oh shit!" Kiyone shouted as the creatures roared at them.  
  
Noboyuki placed himself in front of the two monsters and stared them straight in the eye. "Out of our way!" he demanded.  
The two creatures look at him and then at each other and then they made a hideous sound that could only be come kind of laughter. Kiyone then watched in total fascination as Noboyuki suddenly transformed before her eyes. The man morphed into an alien form, different from the ones in front of them. His exoskeleton was an off white color, not black like the others, and his features were not grotesque like all the other Darklings she had seen before. Noboyuki almost looked majestic, regal and angelic rather than demonic. He could almost be said to look like the dragons of ancient Earth mythology, but for his insect-like exoskeleton and his long broad head that resembled a Kamodo Dragon with armor plating for skin, and two crystal horns rising out of the top of his head.  
The two Darklings looked at Noboyuki now and stopped laughing, it you could call it that, and then looked at each other again. They turned back to him and hissed deeply. "Albino." They hissed.  
The two creatures lunged together at Noboyuki. The Noboyuki dodged out of their way and they narrowly missed Kiyone as they landed and raced after him. They were snarling and hissing as they chased him through the launch bay, but suddenly stopped then their prey ran towards a wall, jumped, ran up the wall, and then flipped over and landed behind them. Noboyuki lashed out with a breath weapon that brew a hole in one of the creatures leaving it squealing in agony on the floor plates. The other latched out with a scythe like appendage towards Noboyuki's neck, but he crouched under the strike and spear the creature through the stomach with his own sword-like appendage on end of his long tail. The monster screamed in pain, but its cried were soon drowned out by the sound of Noboyuki's breath weapon. The blast blew the creature's head clean off and its body vaporized into a bright green whirlwind of energy. The whirlwind was drawn towards Noboyuki and then became absorbed into the crystal horns on his head. The other Darkling saw what happened, its wound healed, and charged. It struck Noboyuki in the abdomen with a body block attack, and then tried to claw at his face. Noboyuki lashed out with his sword-like tail and cleaved off one of the monster's arms. The Darkling screamed in pain as green energy spewed from the wound, and then it was silence as the tail came back around and severed the monster's head. Like the other, its dark essence was absorbed into Noboyuki's horns.  
He stood there for several minutes breathing heavily and quickly reverted back to human form. Kiyone came out from the hiding place she had taken Chani after Noboyuki ran off to fight the two Darklings. She walked up to him and put a hand on his face. "Are you alright?" she asked him.  
  
"I don't know, I don't know how I did that." He said.  
  
"Maybe its instinct or something, your still a Darkling, but your different somehow." She told him.  
  
"If we can get to Jurai maybe Washu and figure it out." Noboyuki suggested.  
  
They spent little time looking over the small craft that were parked in the launch bay. One ship in particular caught their attention. It was the Yokonogo, Mihoshi's shuttle. They ran to it and started to inspect the outside.  
  
"This is Mihoshi's ship, but how did they get it?" Noboyuki asked her.  
  
"It was inside the Yagami, it must have survived our crash." Kiyone replied.  
  
"I don't know heads or tails of this stuff, I don't know alien technology." Noboyuki told her looking at all the unfamiliar hardware that made up the components of the shuttle.  
"It looks intact, but will it still fly." Kiyone said. "I see she had it   
modified with a mini-hyperdrive recently so it will not need the main ship   
section, and that was left back in orbit of Jupiter in the Sol System."  
Kiyone keyed in a GP access code into the door and it opened with a quiet   
hiss. They climbed inside and quickly closed the door behind them.   
Immediately, Yokonogo popped down his robotic head and look around the cockpit.   
He had been expecting to see Mihoshi, but he did not know who these people are.  
  
"Excuse me, but this is a Galaxy Police vessel and you are trespassing."   
He said.  
  
"I am Detect Kiyone of the Galaxy Police, badge number 03456-7891-a, we   
need your assistance to get off this ship and to planet Jurai." Kiyone said.  
  
"Badge number confirmed, please stand still for retinal scan." Yokonogo   
said. A light beam entered Kiyone's eye, there were a few beeping sounds issued   
form the main computers on the shuttle, and then Yokonogo spoke, "Retinal scan   
confirm, what is the situation Detective Kiyone?"  
"We are on a hostile vessel manned by extremely dangerous life forms." She   
explained. "I as a first class detective I am enacting code 36 of provision 66   
of the GP Emergency Codes."  
"Understood, all weapon systems are armed, mini-hyperdrive is online."   
Yokonogo replied. "Preparing to transmit emergency messages on all GP   
frequencies at your command Detective Kiyone."  
Noboyuki laid the little girl in a seat and strapped her in to make sure   
she didn't fly around in the cockpit if they had do fast maneuvers. "Does that   
mean we can get out of here now?" he asked.  
  
"Yes." Kiyone said as she got behind the pilot station and started   
activating the main engines.  
  
Noboyuki sat next to her and they looked at each other with love in their   
eyes. Suddenly, his face went blank, and he turned his head and looked towards   
the rear of the ship. "She found us, hurry lets get out of here!" he   
exclaimed.  
  
It did not take long for the Regis to figure out where her wayward creation and Kiyone went. When she felt two of her children die she knew exactly where to look. Eventually she regained her ability to teleport and she emerged form a black portal in the launch bay. Several dozen Darklings came with her and they started to search around the massive compartment.  
  
"Locate them and kill them, they could not have gone far." She ordered.  
  
They then heard the sound of ion thruster engaging for launch. The Regis and her creatures raced towards the sound only to arrive in time to see the Yokonogo rise off the deck plates on a column of thrust and speed off towards the launch bay opening. The Regis sent a metal command to one of her Darklings that went to the launch bay control room and ordered it to close the launch doors.  
  
"They're trying to trap us in here!" Noboyuki cried as the launch doors started closing in front of them.  
  
"Hold on!" Kiyone shouted and she kicked the thrusters to full power.  
  
Yokonogo blasted through the launch bay opening narrowly missing the door by inches and speed off into space. Kiyone wasted no time starting the calculation to make a hypspace jump to Jurai-space. All seemed calm for a moment, but then the shuttle was rocked by an explosion.  
  
"We are under attack, Detective Kiyone." Yokonogo told her.  
  
"Raise our shields, as if they'll do any good." She ordered the ship.  
  
"Our shields are up, but sensor reading of their weapons show we can only withstand one hit." Yokonogo told her.  
  
`"Then I'd better not let them hit us until the jump calculations are done." Kiyone said and she pulled hard on the control stick and sent the ship into a fast evasive maneuvers.  
  
"This reminds me of that scene in that Star Wars movie." Noboyuki said.  
  
"That was make believe, this is for real." Kiyone told him.  
  
"I prefer the latter." He replied.  
  
"Calculations are complete, we can make the jump." Yokonogo announced.  
  
Kiyone punched the hyperdrive controls and she and Noboyuki where thrown back into their seats as the little shuttle accelerated to an immense speed. The Regis onboard her command ship witnessed the escape of the ship and she scream in rage. She grabbed whatever was nearby, ships, Darklings, cargo contains, and threw them around the launch bay. After the sound of twisting metal, screaming Darklings, and loud explosions subsided she turned her mind outward and called for Kagato.  
  
[Kagato!] she shouted in her thoughts.  
  
[My Regis, you seemed distressed.] Kagato replied in her mind.  
  
[Noboyuki, he has, he has turn Albino!] she cried.  
  
[Albino, I thought you had to be born that.] Kagato replied. [What are you talking about?]  
  
[An Albino is a Darkling who has turned from the darkness and embraced the light.] she explained. [It has happened only once before...long ago.]  
  
[Then I suspect he will be of no use to us.] Kagato said.  
  
[Worse, he and the woman Kiyone has just escaped, and he killed too of our children in the process.] the Regis explained to him.  
  
[I have my own problems to deal with here, Chairman Zarlova of the Secret Police is no longer responding to my thoughts.] Kagato told her.  
  
[Do you think they found the Brain Leach we put on him?] she asked.  
  
[It is possible, and Tenchi and the others survived the crash on LV-196 and have arrive on Jurai.] he told her.  
  
[This is only a setback, a minor one at that, we can implement other strategies.] the Regis said and then broke the link.  
  
Part Five - Surprise Attack...  
  
Tracking a moving pocket of subspace is very difficult let alone almost impossible due to the limitations set by the laws of physics. Doing more required an intimate knowledge of Quantum Dynamics, which in and of itself violated every aspect of the laws of known physics. It was the perfect quandary for the brilliant mind of the First Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe and the Second Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe.  
Orrin and Washu sat next to each other on the bridge of the Kryton. Orrin was at one of Kryton's consoles and Washu had her holocomputer in front of her. Their hands were flying over the buttons punching out intricate code that would be used for locating and tracking a moving subspace pocket. Washu worked on the guts of the complex program while Orrin wrote the interface to Kryton's sensor array, which was specially suited for scanning the various levels of subspace over a long distance.  
  
"Kryton's sensors have never been used like this before." Orrin said.  
  
"Most of what I done has never been done before." Kryton replied.  
  
"You'll be scanning multiple layers of subspace at one time, and doing so requires an enormous amount of processing power." Washu explained.  
  
"Which is what I possess." Kryton replied.  
  
"True, but I'm going to link in my computers into your core processor and setup a collaborative processing network." Washu told him.  
  
"I'm going to be linked into strange computers without a firewall." Kryton said in a slightly high pitched voice.  
  
"Relax, they're well behaved, and if they don't behave I'll threaten to let loose my Loveletters Ultra-V2 virus into their core memory units." The red haired genius said with a sinister sneer.  
  
"Lord Orrin, what are you getting me into?" Kryton asked with a slight shiver to his voice.  
  
Orrin and Washu both laughed without their hands leaving their consoles. They leaned over and gave each other a kiss, and then immediately went back to their work. A few minutes later Orrin stopped and saved what he had into holographic storage and ran it through a validation tool. When he got a report back showing no logic errors or syntax problems he turned to Washu and told her, "I have the interface subroutines finished, all we need is your front end code and we're in business."  
  
"A few more lines and I'll be done here." She told him.  
  
"I'll let the others know where almost done." Orrin said before leaving the bridge.  
  
Orrin exited the Kryton and jumped onto a antigravity cycle he had on the ship. He rode the small craft out of the docking bay and raced towards the main courtyards of the palace. The Royal Guards on the walls saluted to him as he raced past. After landing in the grass, Orrin ran into the palace and found Tenchi and the others gathered around a map of the capital city projected in the air.  
  
"Half the city is in ruins, emergency services say over one million people have died, and five thousand are severely injured due to burns and radiation poisoning." Fonaho said explaining the situation on the map.  
  
Aeka pointed to parts of the city that were not devastated by the explosion. "The palace shield must have protected these parts of the city." She said.  
  
"That is what we suspect." Fonaho replied.  
  
"Has there been anymore activity from Hakuda and his group?" Tenchi asked.  
  
"None that we can tell." Fonaho told him.  
  
"Excuse me, but Washu and I are almost ready to go online." Orrin spoke up.  
  
"That's wonderful, if you can find Hakuda's subspace pocket we should be able to get to him via a portal." Fonaho said.  
  
"Once we find him and get his hyperspacial coordinates locked in." Orrin explained.  
  
"Join us, we are discussing how to go about the relief efforts for the city." Emperor Azusa told Orrin.  
  
"I might have to get back to the Kryton, but I'll see what I can interject." Orrin said and he joined them around the map.  
  
"We can open the emergency supplies and start handing them out." Misaki said.  
  
"That would be a good idea for starters." Azusa replied.  
  
"There should also be an address to the public by you, milord, to let them know of your concern." Orrin suggested.  
  
"I already broadcast a message over all frequencies little more than half an hour ago." The Emperor replied.  
  
"We should call in civilian police and citizen militia groups from other provinces also to help secure the city incase Hakuda makes another move." Yosho suggested.  
  
Fonaho nodded in agreement. "We can also have two or three ships hover over the city as a show of defiance and a sign of security for the citizens." She added.  
  
"Can the sensors you have arrayed around the capital detect subspace energy emissions?" Orrin asked.  
  
"Yes, but to a limited degree." Fonaho told him. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Have regular sweeps of the area done looking for low level emissions." Orrin said. "It could act as an early warning to let us know when Hakuda links his subspace pocket back up with real-space and lets his followers out."  
  
"We'll detect when he opens his doors, is that it?" Mihoshi asked.  
  
"That right, Mihoshi." Aeka said in astonishment that the blonde officer was able to understand what was said, and to tell the truth Aeka barely understood it herself.  
  
Everyone looked at Orrin when they heard a beeping sound.  
  
"That's Washu, she's ready to start scanning subspace for Hakuda." He said as he raced out of the room.  
  
Somewhere off in subspace, a young man who resembled Prince Yosho before he left to hunt down Ryoko walked into an elaborate control room. The walls where pure white and the controls where complex crystal formations that jutted out of the floor. He carefully extracted crystal shards from where they rested inside clear crystal tubes and placed them inside other identical tubes. A light from within began to shine inside the crystals and a strange humming sound could be heard from all directions. There was a momentary feeling of motion in the entire subspace world and then an abrupt stop. Hakuda looked up at a display on the wall and smiled at his handiwork.  
  
"If these calculations are correct, once we link to real-space we will have access to the inside of the royal palace." He said out loud.  
  
"What do we do from there?" asked a man who was standing outside the control room door.  
  
"We send a strike force in to assassinate that monster Azusa and his entire cursed family line." Hakuda told him.  
  
"But, what about the Royal Guard, not even we can fight them." The man said with fear in his voice.  
  
Hakuda turned to him and looked him in the eye. The man shuddered with fear. "leave them to me." He said and Hakuda stalked out of the control room.  
  
On the Kryton, Washu finished her code and started compiling it with Orrin's code added in. The compile process in Kryton's subsystems took only a few seconds, and this impressed the red haired genius since their program consisted of over nine million lines of code. Once that was done she activated the links that would be needed for Kryton to co-process with her computers, and then launched the program. Orrin arrived on the bridge in time to see the interface for their program appear on the main screen.  
  
"No a shabby piece of work I might way myself." Washu said as she eyed the graphical interface to their unique program.  
  
"But will it work?" Orrin asked her as he took a seat next to her.  
  
"Lets find out." She said as she initiate the subspace search. One by one the program started scanning through hundreds of different sublevels of subspace.  
  
"This could take hours." Orrin said. "There are millions of layers to subspace."  
  
"What do we do in the meantime?" Washu asked him. In response Orrin reached over and started to undo the buttons on the front of her blouse.  
  
"That's a wonderful suggestion." Washu said softly as she reach and started doing the same to Orrin's shirt.  
  
An hour passed with no word from Orrin or Washu, so the others took it that nothing yet was found. Azusa went to speak to his old friend back in the Royal Guard hospital. After only fifteen minutes he returned and entered one of the indoor garden rooms that were a part of the palace. Several non-sentient trees and flowers form dozens of different worlds grew here. Sasami was sitting on a large bolder with Duncan Kirasawa. Ryu-Ohki laid in her lap curled up in a ball, sound asleep. They were talking and occasionally kissing. Azusa walked up to them and Sasami grew silent. She knew her father saw her kiss Duncan a few minutes ago.  
  
"Agent Kirasawa, Zarlova has resigned as Chairman of the Secret Police." He told them. "He feels that he can no long perform the functions of the office, and despite my objects he feels he is no longer worthy of the position."  
  
"I am sorry to hear that, milord." Duncan said. "Zarlova was a good leader."  
  
"He had named you as his successor, provided you want the position." Azusa told him.  
  
Duncan's eyes went wide in surprise, "He choose me?"  
  
"Oh, Duncan that's wonderful." Sasami said cheerfully.  
  
"Do you want the position?" Azusa asked him.  
  
"Well, yes, I do, but its so sudden." Duncan replied.  
  
"Sudden things have happening around here lately." The Emperor chuckled. He looked at his young daughter and then back at Duncan.  
  
"You treat my little girl right, you hear me." He said.  
  
"Yes, I will sir." Duncan told him.  
  
"Good, good luck to both of you in whatever you choose to do." Azusa told them and then left.  
  
"Did your father just give us his blessing to marry?" Duncan asked Sasami with some bewilderment. He sat back down on the rock and Sasami kissed him passionately.  
  
"I think the answer is yes." She told him before kissing him again.  
  
In another part of the palace Tenchi and his two wives walked along a slanting bridge that lead to a large annex attached to a part of the palace. The annex was suspected in the air only by the bridge itself. This place, Aeka explained to them earlier, was one of the places she liked to go to think by herself. Now, she wanted to share her private place with the man she loved and her new sister.  
The annex was not very large, it consisted of only three floors each connected by a spiral staircase that ran just inside the outside wall. The entire structure was suspended high above the ground and gave a spectacular view of the landscape below. Much of that landscape was now marred by the blackened remains of the capital city where the bomb had gone off.  
  
"I cam here everyday after Yosho left." Aeka told them.  
  
The third floor of the annex was open on all sides except for a elegant railing that ran along the edge, and a canopy like roof protected it from the rain and harsh sunlight. They found a few benches here, and they sat together just happy to be in one another's company.  
  
"Did you see how happy Mihoshi looked at dinner this afternoon?" Aeka asked.  
  
"I did notice something different about her, she didn't seem so glum and she did a lot of talking." Ryoko replied. "Most of it was with Orrin's son."  
  
"I noticed something else, Sasami and Agent Kirasawa were making eyes at one another." Tenchi added.  
  
"Sasami and Duncan have known one another since they were little, so I'm not surprised." Aeka told them.  
  
"It seems everyone has somebody now, except for Ryu-Ohki unless you count Ken-Ohki." Ryoko said.  
  
"What are we going to do after this is all over?" Aeka asked.  
  
Tenchi looked at her and asked, "What do you mean what are we going to do?"  
  
"I know that becoming Emperor was something you really didn't want--" She replied but Tenchi interrupted her.  
  
"I never said I didn't want to Emperor, I just said that I didn't know how to be one." He told her.  
  
"I think Tenchi would make a great Emperor." Ryoko said.  
  
Tenchi gave his wife a soft kiss on the cheek and said, "Thanks."  
  
"I just wish the universe would just slow down and let us get a rest for once in a while." Ryoko said with a sigh.  
  
"It seems ever since we joined we have been on the run." Aeka replied.  
  
"Maybe this is a test, a test of our love and our strength." Tenchi told them.  
  
The two women slid closer to their husband and he put each arm around their supple waists. It was times like this that Tenchi marveled at the incredible beauty of his two loving wives. But beauty was only skin deep, and he also love the inner beauty of their souls as well. Feeling this through their link the girls laid their heads on each of Tenchi shoulders and sigh with a great sense of contentment. They had their Tenchi, even if they did have to share him.  
  
"Have you had Washu check you out yet, Princess?" Ryoko asked.  
  
"What for, I feel fine." Aeka replied.  
  
"You know what for." Ryoko told her.  
  
Sudden realization came to Aeka's face and thoughts. "Oh, that." She replied.  
  
"Yes, that." Ryoko said.  
  
"No, not recently, its been to-crazy lately." The Princess said.  
  
"If it happens it happens, there is nothing we can do to rush it." Tenchi said.  
  
"Carrying your child is a dream I have had ever since I first fell in love with you, Lord Tenchi." Aeka told him.  
  
Tenchi turned his face to Aeka's and kissed her softly. "What about did that happen actually, you first falling in love with me?" he asked her.  
  
"Remember that day Sasami made me come out of my room for the first time after the crash?" she asked, Tenchi nodded. "I ran outside after you and the others laughed at my expense, I ran into the rain and I found Startica Bells growing near the shrine. You came and your grandfather told you to carry me as the rain started to pour down harder and drench us. You took us to that small tool shed near the shrine, you made a fire, and we dried out our clothes. It was the first time I ever sat with anyone, especially a man, half dressed. It was then that I started to fall in love with you. It was then that I realized how special your soul was, how kind you are, and how selfless you are."  
Tenchi was surprised to say the least. He did not see those memories in her life during the bonding, but then again he did not see everything of their memories from the past. A few of Ryoko's memories were too horrible to even speak of.  
  
"I assumed it happened later than that, like maybe sometime around the time Kagato arrived." He said.  
  
"Oh, no, you captured my heart long before he arrived." She said as she snuggled closer to him.  
  
"I never knew." Tenchi said before kissing her again.  
  
"I knew about the tool shed part, I even teased her about it when we were at the hot springs." Ryoko said with a chuckle.  
  
"Wasn't it when you created that ghost thing that trashed the place?" Tenchi asked her.  
  
"Yup, and when Mihoshi literally came crashing down on top of us." She replied.  
  
"My life since you two arrive into my life has been one big adventure after another." He said, and he squeezed them tightly. "I wouldn't trade it all for anything because we wouldn't be together today if you didn't."  
  
"I love you." Ryoko said softly and kissed Tenchi softly on the nape of the neck.  
  
"And I love you also." Aeka added and did the same on her side.  
  
"And I love both of-" Tenchi started to say, but his words were cut off by the sound of a loud explosion.  
  
"What the hell!" Ryoko shouted. She teleported to the railing and looked out trying to find the source of the explosion. "I don't see anything."  
  
"There!" Aeka shouted. Tenchi and Ryoko turned to see Aeka pointing in the opposite directly, towards the Royal Palace. They ran to that side of the annex and looked far down. Below in the main part of the palace where the Royal Family lived they could see thick black smoke rising.  
  
"Something tells me that's not one of mom's experiments going kablowie." Ryoko said.  
  
"Lets get down there." Tenchi told them and he lead them hand in hand out of the annex.  
  
Sasami and Duncan has been strolling along through the palace with one another hand in hand. The two were getting accustomed to the new situation they found themselves in. Duncan had no doubt that he did love Sasami, he knew felt it since he was a child that he did, and Sasami was the same way. They had nearly reached the entrance to the Royal Gardens. This was the place she had not been to in nearly 700 years. It was the place where she nearly died, and was reborn a new being...reborn as a part of Tsunami. They pushed the big heavy doors and walked into the massive tower. Hundreds of tiers rose into the air, and on each one grew one or more of the Royal Trees. Each stately plant was a sentient being capable of independent thought, and had the power to become the brain center for a Juraian starship. At the top of the tower grew the holy Tree of Light, the tree where Tsunami dwelled for hundreds of thousands of years.  
  
"Its so beautiful here." Duncan said.  
  
"This is the first time I've walked in here since, since that day." Sasami told him.  
  
"Are you certain you want to do this?" he asked her. That same evening they had spoken together seriously about their relationship. Duncan was still much older than she was, and Sasami knew of only one way to correct that difference in their ages. That was to complete her assimilation with Tsunami, to become one with her, and to become an adult instantly. Sasami knew that Tsunami had been waiting for her to make up her mind when was the right time all along. She did want her to experience a childhood, but not she was waiting for Sasami to make the decision, not the other way around.  
  
"I'm sure." She said and smiled at him.  
  
They made their way up the twisting walkway that linked all the tiers together like a web that rose into the air. Each of the trees they passed pulsed with light in greeting to them as they passed, for they knew what was going to take place once she reached the top. Along the way the two would stop to look at the view, kiss, and then move on. They were nearly to the top when suddenly they heard a loud sound like an explosion. The floor beneath then heaved and wobbled. It took all of Duncan's coordination and training to keep his and Sasami balance, but somehow he lost grip of her and she skidded towards the edge of the tier. Sasami suddenly had a flashback of the day she was a little girl, the day she fell from one of the tiers. Her memory of that day was suddenly whisked back to reality when she felt a firm hand grab hers and pull her to safety.  
  
"Oh Duncan!" she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around the young man.  
  
"I got you, don't cry, I got you." He told her softly as they sat down on the floor and hugged for several minutes.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked through her sobs.  
  
"I don't know, but I doubt its good." He replied. Duncan helped Sasami to her feet and they continued their climb to Tsunami's tree.  
  
The Juraian evening was settling in over the palace, the stars could be seen in the sky, and the light of the setting sun cast a crimson hue on the few clouds that hung overhead. Its incredible beauty went unnoticed by Orrin and Washu. The two lovers rolled about in the bed in Orrin's private quarters on the Kryton. The only light in the room was the display to the subspace scanner interface. They moved it here after they left the bridge for more comfortable surrounds. Their lovemaking was fast and furious and driven on by their love each other.  
  
"Oh God, I love you, I love you so much!" Washu cried as he nails dug deep into Orrin's back.  
  
Exhaustion soon began to set in after the third or fourth orgasm. The two lovers simple fell into each other's embrace and were almost too spent to move their heads and kiss each other on the lips.  
  
"That was way better than our first time." She told him.  
  
"Janet taught me a few tricks, you wouldn't image the positions the humans of Earth can come up with." Orrin said.  
  
"I can imagine, Noboyuki's library was filled with books on the subject." Washu replied as she softly stroked Orrin's arm. "They made very interesting study into the mating rituals of primitive species."  
  
Orrin smiled at her. "I hope my mating rituals have been an interesting study for you." He said.  
  
Washu smiled back and was now stroking Orrin's thick mane of black hair. "I don't know, I think I'm going to need a few more years of research." She said.  
  
"I was counting on it." Orrin smiled.  
  
"You Hentai." She replied while playfully pushing him away. "Taking advantage of a poor defenseless, under sexed super genius like myself."  
  
"I hope I can take advantage of you more often." Orrin said, and the two kissed each other passionate and pressed their naked bodies together.  
  
When they parted Washu looked up at the display and frowned. "Two million layers and still nothing." She said.  
  
"It takes time to-" Orrin started to say but Kryton's voice interrupted.  
  
"Lord Orrin, I am detecting a hyperspace breach forming at 08 mark 415." The ship said.  
  
"08 mark 415!" Washu shouted, sat up and conjured up her console. "That's inside the palace!"  
  
It was at that time the interface screen flashed and a loud beeping sound issued from it. A massive subspace pocket adorned the screen superimposed over and inside of the structure of the Royal Palace of Jurai.  
  
"Oh, my God!" Washu said just before the sound of a loud explosion reach their ears.  
  
Inside the palace was a scene of total chaos. The moment the subspace door was opened one of the terrorist tossed an explosive into the midst of several Royal Guardsmen. They had little time to react and had few seconds to engage their personal force fields. The explosion took out part of the roof of the palace in that section and killed all six of the guardsmen that were nearby. The blast set hundreds of nearby tapestries, some thousands of years old, blaze and smoke started filling the adjoining corridors. Azusa, Fonaho, and Misaki were in their private quarters when they heard the blast. It was near them, and they ran out into the corridor to see what was happening. The sound of energy weapon fire filled the air along with the screams of men dying. Captain Ginaro ran up to them and started to push the three of them down the hall away from the sound of battle.  
  
"I have to get you away from here, your majesties." He said. "Its a massive attack, they bombed us and then hundreds of them started pouring out of some breach in space-time that hung in midair"  
  
"Where are my daughters and the others?" Misaki asked.  
  
"I assume Lady Aeka is with Lord Tenchi and Lady Ryoko, and I saw Lady Sasami and Agent Duncan headed towards another part of the palace." Ginaro replied.  
  
"Try to contact Orrin and Washu, see if they can assist you in anyway." Azusa ordered. "We'll relocate to the underground command center."  
  
"Very good, sir." Ginaro said and saluted before running back towards the scene of the battle.  
  
"Lets go." Azusa said to his wives.  
  
"What about the others?" Fonaho asked.  
  
"We will need to pray to Tsunami that they will be fine." He said.  
  
A firefight the likes of which had never been seen on planet Jurai was taking place inside the royal palace. Hundreds of men and women armed with military weapons from Jurai and several other worlds in the Galactic Union charged forward against the Royal Guard and the Knights of Jurai. The two forces clashed, exchanging fire, and dozens on each side collapse from mortal wound. Only the Knights stood firm against this attack, the weapons of the attackers had no effect on their magical armor. However, something was about to happen to change all of that. Hakuda emerged from the breach in hyperspace and surveyed the scene of carnage before him. He smile in satisfaction and then walked out into the line of fire himself. His face was a mask of confidence and determination as he advanced on the Knights of Jurai. A few weapons blast struck him in the chest, but Hakuda did not stop his forward stride. He started to laugh like a maniac has he reached the first Knight, raised up has hand, conjured a blue energy sword, and cleaved the man in half. The others witnessed their fellow knight fall and they charged his murder shouting, "Long live Emperor Azusa!" With little effort on Hakuda's part, they too fell dead on the ground at his feet.  
Hakuda continued walking through the carnage around him until he reached the corridor where the Emperor and his two wives were quickly running to escape. He saw them through the thick smoke, concentrated for a moment, conjured a black portal, stepped through, and emerged from a similar portal that appear in front of the three.  
  
"Emperor Azusa a assume." Hakuda said with a bow.  
  
"Hakuda, you monster, how dare you attack my palace!" Azusa shouted.  
  
"What I do I do for a higher purpose." Hakuda told him.  
  
"You bastard, I'll make you pay for what you did to my people!" the Emperor reached into his kimono and withdrew a starship key. He conjured the blue blade and advanced on Hakuda with every intent of killing him. Hakuda conjured his blade again and parried a blow intended to take off his head. A bewildered Azusa leaped back, raised his weapon, and made ready another attack. The two exchanged sword blows with one another in a frantic attempt to hit a vital spot. Fonaho and Misaki huddle together next to the wall and watched in horrific fascination as their beloved husband fought for their lives. They were totally oblivious to the sounds of running feet in the corridor approaching them.  
  
At the end of the corridor Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko arrived and were astonished to find the Emperor of Jurai engaged in a sword fight with someone who looked just like Yosho when he was still young.  
  
"Sweet Tsunami!" Aeka shouted. "That is Hakuda!"  
  
"That asshole is toast!" Ryoko replied as she conjured her sword and start to fly towards the battle. She was stopped by Tenchi's hand which latched onto her arm.  
  
"Ryoko, stop, I sense something is wrong here." Tenchi said.  
  
"He's going to cream your great grandfather if you don't let me help him." Ryoko told him.  
  
"I can't explain it, but I don't think that would be enough." He said.  
  
Just then, a black portal opened and Orrin and Washu emerged next to them in the corridor.  
  
"We got good news and bad news, the good news we found Hakuda, and the bad news he's-" Washu started to say until Tenchi pointed down the corridor. "-oh shit."  
  
"I feel something unnatural about him." Tenchi said.  
  
Orrin looked at Hakuda and then back at Tenchi. "You should, because Hakuda is a Darkling, and not just an ordinary one...he is a Regent."  
  
The two fighters leaped, whirled and dodged sword blow after sword blow for several minutes before they leaped away from one another and stood staring at each other.  
  
"You are very good, I can see you are the one who taught Yosho how to fight." Hakuda said. He did not appear to be breathing heavily at all.  
  
"How do you know of my son, he has not set foot on Jurai for 700 years." Azusa replied.  
  
"I fought him when I came to Earth seeking something that belonged to me." Hakuda said.  
  
At the end of the hall came the sound of a gasp. "Kagato." Ryoko said under her breath.  
  
"I think its time I did away with this little charade." Hakuda said and he morphed into the form of Kagato.  
  
"Kagato, you are worse than a monster!" Azusa shouted. "Because of you millions of my people have died, twice!"  
  
"I can almost guarantee you the death toll is going to start rising exponentially." Kagato laughed.  
  
"Die you bastard!" Azusa shouted. He lunged at Kagato, but the Darkling Regent was far too quick for him. In his original form now, Kagato was pulling out all the stops and started to use his physical superiority over the Emperor. It was clear that Kagato was ten times as fast as he was, and Azusa knew that he could not keep this up forever. Kagato kicked the Emperor in the midsection and sent him flying. He ran towards him and was about to spear him with his sword when a second blade blocked his way. Kagato looked up into Ryoko's face and smiled at her.  
  
"Lovely to see you again, Ryoko." He said.  
  
"The disgust is all mine I can assure you." She replied. They leaped back from one another and then started their attacks. Kagato quickly discovered that Ryoko was getting very good at swordplay, and she was proving to be more of a challenge than Azusa. Almost.  
Tenchi withdrew the Master Key, the Tenchi-ken, and started running down the corridor to aid his wife in battle. Kagato and Ryoko flew around the room exchanging sword blows with neither one gaining any ground. Azusa climbed to his feet to see Kagato drive Ryoko's body into the wall with an energy blast from his hand.  
  
"No!" Azusa shouted and he raised his sword over his head at strike Kagato from behind.  
  
However, just as Azusa's sword reached its apex Kagato reversed his blade and struck backwards. The slender end of his energy blade pierced Azusa through the chest and came out of his back. The Emperor staggered in astonishment and then his face cringed in pain. Kagato pulled the blade free, whirled around to deliver the killing blow, but Tenchi arrived at that same moment and delivered a drop kick to Kagato head.  
  
"Azusa!" Fonaho and Misaki cried in unison as they ran to their fallen husband.  
  
"I killed you once, I can do it again!" Tenchi shouted as Kagato recovered from the strike and leaped back to his feet.  
  
"I am far stronger than I was before, boy." Kagato spat. "You can try, but you will only be prolonging the inevitable."  
  
"Lets finish this!" Tenchi shouted as he leaped at Kagato and made several strategically placed blows meant to gauge Kagato skill level. All of his grandfather's training was brought into use. Tenchi was a whirlwind, moving with an almost ballet like grace as he leaped, dodged, and exchanged sword blows with his foe.  
  
"You have advanced farther than your grandfather's own skills." Kagato said. "I'm impressed."  
  
"I'm full of surprises." Tenchi spat as he defected Kagato's sword away and kicked the Darkling in the face making him stagger towards the wall.  
  
Ryoko pulled herself out of the hole her body made in the wall, looked up at the battle that was taking place and shouted, "Tenchi be careful, he's a lot stronger than he used to be."  
  
Orrin started running down the corridor towards the fight leaving Aeka and Washu behind. They watched as Orrin reached the scene in only a few seconds due to his line-of-sight teleportation ability. Once there he leveled a blast of energy at Kagato while his back was turned and sent the Darkling flying down the corridor passed Tenchi, who dodged out of the way to keep from being plowed to the ground by Kagato's flying body. When Kagato stood up and brushed himself Orrin knew then that they were in serious trouble.  
  
"He should have vaporized from that blast." Orrin said.  
  
"Why isn't he?" Ryoko asked.  
  
"I don't know, but that blast I gave him should have finished him." Orrin replied.  
  
Kagato slowly began to change into his hideous Darkling form. The demonic creature that appeared before them slowly walked towards them. "I am going to tear your souls apart, one by one." He snarled in an inhuman voice.  
  
"What do we do now?" Tenchi asked him as he went into a fighting stance.  
  
"Running would be a good idea." Orrin said. Immediately the three turned, grabbed Azusa off the floor and ran down the corridor with Misaki and Fonaho following close behind them.  
  
"Father!" Aeka cried when the others reached her and Washu at the end of the corridor.  
  
"We have a sickbay on Kryton." Orrin told her.  
  
"Don't worry about me, your concern is for the others." The Emperor groaned in pain.  
  
"We're not leaving you behind, and we aren't finished yet either." Tenchi told him.  
  
Orrin activated his wrist communicator. "Kryton, we need immediate extraction at these coordinates, and fast." He shouted.  
  
"Dad, Yuko and Mihoshi are onboard Kryton with me." Said Darius's voice over the com line.  
  
Orrin looked down the hall and saw Kagato was still slowly walking towards them. The crystalline horns on his head were already starting to glow.  
  
"I think now would be a good time to take off and pick us up." Orrin told him.  
  
"We're on our way, milord." Kryton's voice replied.  
  
Aeka, Fonaho and Misaki were tending to Azusa's wounds with straps of cloth they pulled from their kimonos. Orrin turned back towards Kagato and realized he was be on them before Kryton could reach them. He raised his hands and summoned the awesome power that was inside of him. Tenchi and Washu watched as Orrin's body started to glow with a golden light, and then a misty, golden light drift from his fingertips. The light sprayed across the room and melded with the walls, ceiling and floor. Suddenly there was a bright flash of multicolored light and a force field materialized in front of Kagato. The Darkling Regent lashed out at the shield but his strikes were effortless deflected. He fired his breath weapon at the shield, but it held without any sign of stress.  
  
"What did you do?" Washu asked him.  
  
"That shield is actually a region that is slightly out of temporal phase with the rest of the surrounding universe." He told her.  
  
"You are incredible." She replied. At that same moment they suddenly felt a sensation of brief weightlessness and disorientation. Kagato was thoroughly frustrated with the shield and was lashing out at it with all his strength to no avail. He roared in rage as he watched Tenchi Masaki and the others suddenly dematerialize out of the corridor.  
Everyone found themselves suddenly in different surrounds. Orrin recognized the interior of Kryton immediate. He turned and help the others stand Emperor Azusa on his feet. Yuko stepped out from behind a control console. "Darius, we got them, punch it!" she said.  
  
"Everybody, hang onto your butts." Said the voice of Darius from a speaker in the room.  
  
The floor slanted to one side slightly and they all felt a moment of acceleration before the inertial stabilizers kicked in. "Yuko, show them to the sickbay, I'm going to the bridge." Orrin said.  
  
"This way." Yuko pointed. Tenchi and the others picked up the Emperor and literally ran with him through the narrow corridors of the ship towards the sickbay. Once there Yuko activated a medical station that extended out from the wall. Tenchi and Ryoko lift Azusa up onto the table and started to remove his robes so they could see his wound.  
  
"Dear sweet Tsunami." Aeka said when they finally saw the wound in Azusa's chest. The hole had strange black score marks around the edges, but there was no sign of blood.  
  
"We'll have to put into a cellular regenerator to repair that wound." Yuko said. Kryton's avatar morphed out of a nearby wall and examined the wound.  
  
"I detect some kind of Dark Energy." He said.  
  
Washu summoned her holocomputer and started typing furiously. After a few minutes a black portal opened next to her and small PDA device fell into her hands. She waved it over Azusa's wound a few times and then looked at her holocomputer display again.  
  
"Damn, its going through his molecular matrix, depolarizing his cells." She said.  
  
"What does that mean?" Fonaho asked.  
  
"His DNA is being destroyed, if we can't purge this energy from his system he'll die even if we do heal his wound." She replied.  
  
Fonaho put her hand over her mouth to stifle a sob, Misaki put he hands on her shoulders to steady her. The two women leaned over the table and gave their beloved husband a kiss on the forehead. He did not notice this as he was already unconscious.  
  
"I don't have the equipment necessary to clear the energy from his matrix." Kryton said to Washu.  
  
"I do, but it back in my lab." Washu said.  
  
"Is there a way you can access your lab from here?" Aeka asked.  
  
"Yes, but the minute I do those Darklings will detect it in a heartbeat."  
Washu told her.  
  
"Maybe there is a place where they won't be able to detect it." Fonaho said.  
  
Washu and the others looked at her. "In case of an emergency there is a secondary command center in the Kurolus Range on the southern continent." She explained. "Admiral Shakar should be relocating his staff there right now."  
  
"The Kurolus Range, ah, I know that region well." Washu said. "The mineral content of the rock has a unique quantum energy resonance, thus interfering with sensor readings."  
  
"Which is why we built it there." Fonaho replied.  
  
"Give us the coordinates and my dad can fly us there." Yuko said to her.  
  
"Its 031 mark 217, the launch bay in hidden in the largest peak on the range." Fonaho told her.  
  
"I already relayed the information to Lord Orrin, you need to stay here to monitor the Emperor." Kryton told the young girl just as she was about to leave.  
  
Yuko turned back to the medical console and said, "I didn't get to finish my medical certification yet." "I have seen your test scores, you could easily pass the certification for MD." Kryton told her.  
  
Yuko smiled at Kryton and then looked back at the medical console. The reading she was getting did not look very good. "Until we can purge the energy from him the Dark Energy is going to slowly depolarize his cells." She said. "It might slow down the process if we put him into stasis for the duration."  
  
"Stasis won't stop the process but it will slow it down." Washu said.  
  
"I am initializing one of the chambers now." Kryton told them.  
  
"Does that mean your putting him into some kind of sleep chamber?" Ryoko asked.  
  
"If someone is too gravely ill for us to treat on the ship we can put them into stasis until we get to a medical facility that can better treat them." Yuko replied.  
  
The medical console beeped to indicate that Azusa's wound had been completely sealed. Yuko deactivated the cellular regenerator, picked up a hypo-spray and went to a medicine dispenser. She plugged the hypo-spray into the device, punched up a specific drug and dosage, and came back with it to Azusa's table. She pressed the spray against the Emperor's arm, and a few moments later the color began to slowly return to his face.  
  
"That might help for the time being." She said.  
  
"What was it?" Misaki asked. She was happy to see the color returning to her husband's skin.  
  
"A special drug for fighting radiation poisoning." Yuko told her. "Its not made for this sort of thing, but it should help slow the Dark Energy. I also included some nanoprobes into his system which should also help to reconstruct some of his damaged DNA."  
  
"Kryton was right, you are good." Washu told her.  
  
Aeka suddenly gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. Everyone looked at her in surprise and did not know exactly what was going on to make her react like she did. Ryoko and Tenchi knew why, because through their link they saw an image of Sasami in Aeka's mind.  
  
"We're forgetting Sasami!" she cried.  
  
Back at the royal palace in the Royal Gardens, Sasami and Duncan finished their climb to the top of the great tower. The tall and beautiful Tree of Light stood by itself on a single tier platform. The dome skylight above allowed the light reflecting from the ring system surrounding Jurai to shine down onto its leaves. The two stopped just in front of the great tree and for several moments there was no activity. Suddenly, shimmering multicolored beams of light shined from the leaves of the tree and a translucent image of the goddess Tsunami appeared before them.  
Duncan did not consider himself a truly religious person, but the sight of the beautiful goddess made the young man drop to his knees. She was adorned with a beautiful kimono that shimmered like the light that came from the leaves of the tree, and her blue hair was tossed about as if she were standing in a whirlwind.  
  
"You were only waiting for me to decide when I was ready, weren't you?" Sasami asked Tsunami.  
  
"It was always up to you to decide when the time was right." The goddess said. "Or else I would have completed the assimilation centuries ago."  
  
"I am ready now." Sasami replied.  
  
The goddess looked at Duncan and gestured for him to stand. "I approve of your choice Sasami, he is a good man and I know he will take care of you." She said. This made Sasami blush furiously, and Duncan squeezed her hand softly.  
  
"The Darkness is closing in, we much be swift." Tsunami told them.  
  
"I'm ready." Sasami said and she released Duncan's hand and walked towards the image of the goddess. Tsunami materialized into a solid form and stepped away from the tree. Sasami and Tsunami faced one another and they reached out towards one another. They touched hands and placed the flat of their hands together. They did the same with the other hand. The same aura of shimmering light that surrounded Tsunami now began to surround Sasami.  
  
"Let what began 700 years ago be completed now." Tsunami said.  
  
"Will I see you again?" Sasami asked as tears started to fall from her eyes.  
  
"Do not cry, I will be a part of you, I will be your voice of reason in the back of your mind." Tsunami told her. "We will always be together."  
  
Duncan watched in fascination that what he was witnessing. He did not fully understand what exactly was going to happen, but he did comprehend some of what Sasami had told him too place long ago. His attention was fully on the two in front of him, but suddenly a found from behind triggered his training and he immediately turned around. Stalking up the walkway towards Tsunami's tier walked a man with long white hair. Flanking him on either side came two creatures that could be described as something from a maniac's worst nightmare.  
Duncan pulled out his blaster and leveled it at the man approaching. "Stop right there!" he ordered.  
  
"You are in a position to demand nothing." The man said menacingly.  
  
"Your, your name is Kagato, I recognize your face." Duncan said after realizing who he was talking to.  
  
"Your a wise man, so I would advise you to step out of my way." Kagato told him.  
  
Duncan fired a warning shot past Kagato's left side narrowly missing his ear. "I can't do that." He said.  
  
"Put that toy down, normal weapons cannot harm me now." Kagato replied. He did not even flinch when the blast passed him.  
  
"Sasami, we have company!" Duncan shouted back.  
  
Kagato looked past Duncan and saw what was happening between Sasami and Tsunami. What are they doing, he asked himself. He watched in fascination as the light surround the young teenaged princess and the adult goddess grew in brightness. Once the light grew to an intensity that began to cause him physical pain. In the maelstrom of light Kagato hear the voice of the goddess speak to him saying, "I am now beyond your power, Kagato."  
  
"Let what is started now be finished." Came Sasami's voice from the light.  
  
"Let us be one." Came Tsunami's voice.  
  
Immediately Kagato realized what it was he was seeing. He had heard rumors that Sasami and Tsunami were link with one another, but he did not understand how until just this moment. He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light and he roared, "NO!" In the maelstrom he could see to figures standing face to face, they slowly walked towards one another and embraced. Seconds later there an immense flash of white light that was the intensity of a thousand stars, the shockwave struck Kagato and his Darkling lieutenants and sent them falling from the tier. Duncan remain unharmed by the massive surge of energy that erupted from the pair. He kept his eyes closed until the whistle of the air rushing past him subsided. Duncan opened his eyes and he looked around. The Tree of Light was still there, but the goddess was nowhere to be found. He looked down and gasped. Sasami lay sprawled on the ground and completely naked. Duncan raced to her side and helped her to her feet. She opened her eyes and looked down at her body and blushed red when she realized that she was totally unclothed. Duncan averted his eyes and took off his shirt for her to wear. He looked into her face and it was the one of the beautiful goddess. The twin triangular Sign of True Power that had adorned Sasami's forehead was gone and was now replaced by the dual circlet symbol of the goddess Tsunami.  
  
"I feel so weak." She said. Her voice had also changed. It was the same clear bell like tone that Tsunami spoke in.  
  
[You will be, our joining has left us both weak.] came Tsunami's voice inside her mind.  
  
"Tsunami, I can still here you." Sasami said in astonishment.  
  
[As I said, we will always be together.] Tsunami replied.  
  
"You can hear her in your mind?" Duncan asked her.  
  
"Yes, she is a part of me now, and I am a part of her." Sasami told him.  
  
Duncan looked back at the walkway that lead downwards from the tier. "Well, we'd better get out of here before Kagato regains his composure and comes for us again" he said.  
  
As they were about to walked away Duncan noticed his wrist communicator was starting to beep. He reached for it and tapped the controls. "Duncan, Sasami are you alright?" came the voice of Aeka.  
  
"We are all fine." Sasami said.  
  
"Tsunami?" Aeka asked.  
  
"No, its me, Sasami." She replied.  
  
There was silence for a moment on the other end of the com signal, and then Aeka spoke. "Oh, Sasami, I wish I could have been with you." She said.  
  
"Its alright, Duncan was here." Sasami told her.  
  
"And so was Kagato, but he did not like the bright light very much and left." Duncan said.  
  
"Where are you?" Aeka asked.  
  
"Right next to Tsunami's tree." Sasami told her.  
  
"We're flying over the tower now, stand by." Aeka replied.  
  
Duncan and Sasami looked up and sure enough they saw the silhouette of a some starship in the light of Jurai's rings. A moment later they felt disorientation and a brief moment of weightlessness, and suddenly their surroundings changed to the transporter room on Kryton. Aeka immediately flew into Sasami's arms and the two women cried as they hugged. Tenchi, Ryoko, and Misaki were in the room also.  
  
"Are you feeling alright?" Aeka asked her sister. She moved to arms length still holding onto her sister's hands. Tenchi, realizing the fact that Sasami was partially undressed, suddenly turned bright red and averted his eyes.  
  
"You'd better." Ryoko told him. She realized for the first time just now beautiful Tsunami really was now that she saw Sasami in her form.  
  
[Be good, you and Aeka are the only girls I ever had eyes for.] he told her through their link.  
  
[What about Sakuya?] Ryoko asked him.  
  
[That's another issue.] Tenchi replied and gave her a dirty look.  
  
On the bridge Orrin was at the controls of Kryton. Four Darkling battleships and six smaller vessels arrived over the palace in past few minutes and he knew that many more were on the way. He sent the ship through fast dodges to keep from being hit, and he returned fire to a few of the smaller ships as they passed them. These smaller ships were easily destroyed by Kryton's firepower, and the light and sound of their destruction woke the capital from its night sleep. Several Juraian starships also began to appear in the sky around the palace and started to exchange fire with the Darklings.  
  
"Lady Fonaho, order your ships to cease their attack on the Darklings." Orrin said into a ship intercom.  
  
Back in sickbay Fonaho, Yuko and Kryton's avatar where putting Azusa into a stasis chamber. Yuko pointed to a panel on the wall. Fonaho walked over to it and touched the controls. "Why, what is wrong?" she asked.  
  
"They are no match for them, if you don't order them to stand down and make a run for it they will all be destroyed." Orrin told her.  
  
"But-but we can't just let them take the royal palace." She said.  
  
"We're all out safe for the most part." Orrin replied. "Either order them to withdraw or they will all die and there will be no one left to fight for Jurai."  
  
Fonaho was silent for a moment, then she adjusted the controls on the panel, pressed the transmit button and said, "This is Minister of Defense Fonaho Jurai to all ship, I am ordering a full scale retreat, command code alpha-bravo-tango-61798, authorization Fonaho001"  
  
"Acknowledged, Lady Fonaho." Came the voice of Admiral Shakar.  
  
"What are you doing out there, why aren't you at the backup command center?" she asked.  
  
"We heard the palace was attacked, so I beamed to one of the ships intending to rescue the royal family." The Admiral replied.  
  
"We're safe and heading for the secondary base." She told him. "Get yourself there also, that is an order."  
  
"Aye, milady, all vessels go to full retreat." Admiral Shakar ordered.  
  
On the bridge Orrin put the throttle to full power and using the shields of the ship he literally rammed their way free of the Darkling fleet that was quickly surrounding them. "Kryton engage stealth mode." He ordered. Immediately the escaping ship disappeared from sight and from the sensors on all the ships.  
  
Part Six - The Dark Lord of Jurai...  
  
Kagato had fallen the entire way down to the bottom of the tower. He found himself laying on a small isle of rock surrounded by a pool of water. The other Darklings that had been with him were nowhere to be seen. He slowly picked himself and could feel his body already starting to stitch his broken bones back together again. When he was finally standing fully erect a Darkling appeared out of subspace in front of him.  
  
"Milord, the palace is secure." It told him.  
  
"Very good, what of the royal family?" he asked. He did not bother to try and go back to the upper tier. He could sense with his new powers that Sasami and the young man who challenged him were now gone.  
  
"They have all escaped, we captured and feed upon several of the wait staff, but we have found no one of the royal family." The Darkling said.  
  
"What of the Royal Guard?" Kagato asked the creature. They started their way out of the Royal Gardens. "I am afraid all but five of them have eluded us, sir." The creature replied.  
  
"Five Royal Guard will pose little threat to us." Kagato said absently.  
  
"I believe one who escaped us was the Captain of the Guard, sir." The creature said.  
  
"Its of no consequence." Kagato told the creature. "What is the status of the pursuit of that escaping ship?"  
  
The Darkling seemed hesitant to speak for a moment. Kagato stopped just as they reached the throne room and turned around and looked at the creature.  
  
"I asked you a question." He barked.  
  
The creature fidgeted for moment and said, "It disappeared."  
  
"It what!" Kagato shouted. In a fit of rage he conjured his sword, the creature cowered before him and prostrated itself on the ground. "Please spare me, Dark Lord, it wasn't my fault!" it cried.  
  
Kagato dispelled his sword, walked up the dais to the throne and sat there. "Get up you sniveling coward." He ordered the creature. He monster complied and stood waiting for his next order.  
  
"Have an immediate sweep of the city done, there are survivors form our bomb and I want them collected." Kagato ordered.  
  
The Darkling bowed and started to back away. "As you command." It said.  
  
"Wait, you called me Dark Lord." Kagato said.  
  
The Darkling hesitated with fear and said, "Yes, was I inappropriate in saying so, milord?" the creature asked.  
  
"No, I like it, Dark Lord, yes, I like it very much." Kagato said with a smile.  
  
"Yes, the Dark Lord of Jurai, sir." The creature replied.  
  
Kagato let out an ear piercing laugh. "Yes, Dark Lord of Jurai, that is quite fitting actually." He said.  
  
The Darkling bowed again and then ran off to issue his master's commands.  
  
In the capital city people were outside their homes and they already began to realized that something terrible was happening. They survived the blast that struck the other side of the city earlier that day, but now they were awakened by the sound of a blast in the palace compound. Dark alien craft started to assemble around the palace and a strange alien vessel did battle with several of them, and the Jurai fleet also arrived and started to open fire. However, the strange alien ship was gone and the fleet was retreating. This started a panic in the streets as thousands of people started to run for their lives. The Darkling Invasion of Jurai had begun.  
Captain Ginaro and four of his surviving Royal Guard ran through this insanity as thousands ran for their lives. They looked up in time to see hundreds of small craft descend towards the city. The small craft appeared to look like clam shaped objects in the night sky.  
  
"What do we do now, sir." Lt. Bren asked the captain.  
  
"We can only hope that Lord Tenchi and Lord Orrin were able to get the royal family out of there." Ginaro said gesturing towards the palace. "We should find the closest military command center and report in."  
  
"The closest will have been evacuated already, sir." Said another one of the Royal Guard. This one was known as Lt. Vokal.  
  
"Perhaps we should find us some transport and head for the emergency command center on the southern continent." Lt. Bren said.  
  
"Good idea, Lieutenant." Ginaro said.  
  
One of the clam shaped ships landed not far from where they were standing. Throngs of people were climbing over each other to escape, children were crying, women were screaming, and the shouted prayers to Tsunami could be heard. The clam shaped craft suddenly began to move. It front section chevrons moved apart, and its lower section made contact with the ground. The lower parts disconnected and rose into the air lifting the rest of the craft off the ground and they appeared to look like a pair of reverse articulated legs. The two chevrons split and became twin pincers on two bulky arms. The mechanical monster had an organic appearance and almost looked like it was alive. Two nacelles that were long and cylindrical rose up from the main body on two long, slender control arms. From these nacelles blasts of red energy were fired into the crowds of people trying to flee. Ginaro and his lieutenants watched in horror as hundreds of people dropped where they were either running, crawling or standing. Oddly enough, there was no explosion when the weapons were fired.  
  
"Sir, they're being stunned!" Lt. Bren shouted over the sound of weapons fire.  
  
"It appears that way, lets go before we're next." Ginaro said and they all made a quick dash to escape.  
  
Hundreds of the mechanical monsters stomped through the streets of Jurai leaving thousands of people laying unconscious in their wake. A series of other ships came along after them and started to lift the people off the ground with a wide disbursement tractor beam. The bodies they picked up where laid down on large flatbed carries attached to the ships until they were full, and then the next in line started to pick the people up. Outside of the city a large area was encircled by force field generators to make a large encampment. Several buildings from the city had been literally pulled up from the ground and dropped into place to provide the people some kind of shelter. The flatbed craft arrived at the camp and started to deliver their cargo. They dumped the unconscious people onto the ground and then flew off to gather more. The stunning effect of the war machines began to wear off and they people started to stir. Soon they were all on their feet and screaming, they searched towards the force field wall and were immediately repelled.  
Three of the walking war machines or mech, if they could be called thus, marched into the encampment. The people stopped their attempts to escape and stood waiting for what was going to happen. The nacelles on the mechs pointed upwards and fired their beams into the sky. The beams intersected above the people and started to form an image. A three dimensional holographic projection of the throne room of the royal palace appeared. Thousands of people in the camp now gasped at the sigh of who was sitting in the throne.  
Kagato look towards them, for in the throne room he could see the people through a similar projection. "As of this time, there is no more royal family of Jurai." He said. "Already our forces are collecting the populous of the capital city and others cities around this planet. Your fleet is in retreat, and your leaders have gone into hiding. There is no one in this universe who can help you, and your beloved Tsunami is gone. From this time forward your lives, your souls, your very breath belongs to us. We are your masters now, and I am your Dark Lord and I am now your new god. Any who does not bow to me will be destroyed. Any who tries to resist will suffer agony unimaginable. Obey us, give us what we want, and you will be allowed to live to see another day. You have no hope, you have no chance. We are the Darkness, and this world is now ours."  
  
Kryton was much larger than his previous form, and this allowed for a large observation deck on one of his lower levels. Sasami sat on a cushioned seat that ran along the observation windows and looked outside. The landscape below was running towards them at an incredible rate as the ship flew low over the ground. Duncan came over and sat next to her. He handed her a cup of water she had asked for earlier and looked out the windows with her. She was no longer dressed in just Duncan's shirt but now wore a long flowing white gown that Kryton synthesized for her.   
  
"I can't believe father may actually die." She said.  
  
"Don't worry, your father is tough, he can pull out of this." Duncan told her.  
  
"This all just so unreal, we're running from out homes, and our world is being overrun by monsters." She said and she put her face in her hands.  
  
Duncan took her hands in his and began massaging her fingers tenderly. "We'll fight back, Orrin and Washu will make a way for us to fight back, but we need to give them time." He said.  
  
"Oh, Duncan, what is going to happen to us?" she cried and embraced him.  
  
"We'll fight back and get our homes back." He said as he stroked her hair. "Even if it takes us forever we will fight until we can't stand any longer."  
  
Sasami pulled back and looked into Duncan's eyes. Duncan thought he would become lost in those beautiful pink eyes of hers. Without saying a word they encircled each other in their arms and kissed with every ounce of passion in their hearts. When they parted Sasami said, "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." Duncan replied with a smile.  
  
Elsewhere on the ship, Aeka stood and looked at her father through the glass of the stasis chamber. He was totally motionless inside the machine that for the most part was keeping the Dark Energy inside of him form spreading any further. Tenchi laid a hand on her shoulder and she reached up and caressed it. Tears were running down Aeka's face, her regal conditioning be damned. Ryoko could not help but let the tears flow as well as she felt Aeka's immense sadness flow through their link.  
  
[I remember the first time he took me to the Startica Festival.] Aeka said.  
  
[What is Startica like?] Tenchi asked. [You mentioned it on Earth, and we celebrated it, but what is it like on Jurai?]  
  
[Its a time of great celebration, its a time of joy, happiness, and family bonding.] she said.  
  
[It sounds beautiful.] Ryoko said.  
  
[It is, and one day I hope for you both to see it.] Aeka said. Tenchi squeezed her shoulder softly. [We will see it, we will.] he said.  
  
[Ya, we'll send Kagato and his monsters running away screaming, and there will be a celebration on Jurai that likes of which have never been seen anywhere in the universe.] Ryoko said.  
  
Aeka turned around and the tears started to fall more quickly this time. She opened her arms to receive her husband and Ryoko both and they held each other for a long time. After a moment Tenchi kissed them both. Aeka turned towards her father and blew him a kiss. She followed Tenchi and Ryoko out of the sickbay and into the corridor.  
They came to the observation deck where Duncan and Sasami were already sitting. Sasami was sitting on Duncan's lap with her arms around him as they watched the landscape rush by.  
  
"Nice view." Tenchi said, but he was looking at Sasami. This made the young woman blush, and got Tenchi a jab in the ribs from Ryoko and Aeka.  
  
"Are you feeling better, Sasami dear?" Aeka asked her sister.  
  
"The weakness has worn off." Sasami said.  
  
"Can you tell us what it was like?" Tenchi asked her.  
  
"Its really hard to explained, there was no pain just a feeling of warmth and peace." She said. "I felt no panic, no fear, and even when Kagato arrived I didn't get scared."  
  
"He made my skin crawl." Duncan told them.  
  
"Your not the only one he does that to." Ryoko replied.  
  
"Then, when it happened I saw all of her memories as if I were reliving her life over again." Sasami added. "I witnessed the birth of our universe, I saw ancient Jurai before the first cities were built, I saw Washu as she was as a goddess, and-and-" she stopped and looked up at Tenchi.  
  
"And what?" Aeka asked.  
  
"I'm not sure if I should tell you." Sasami said.  
  
"What is it, if its important we should know about it?" Aeka demanded.  
  
"Tenchi's birth wasn't an accident." Sasami told them. "Tsunami has been manipulating the blood lines of the Royal Family for centuries to create a Super Being capable of protecting Jurai and the universe from the force of evil she had foreseen in the future. It was Tsunami who asked Yosho to chase Ryoko to Earth and spare her life, thus sealing her in the cave for 700 years. It was Tsunami who encourage Yosho to marry among the humans of Earth. It was she who told Yosho it was time for Tenchi to release Ryoko from the cave."  
  
"Why did she do those things?" Aeka asked he sister, her face was one of shock and disbelief.  
  
"It was all planned out, Tenchi and Ryoko were preordained to be together by Tsunami, because their children would be very powerful." Sasami told her.  
  
"What!" Aeka said and face faltered.  
  
"Hold on, that sort of trivializes Aeka's relationship to me as a side item!" Tenchi shouted at the young princess.  
  
"Tsunami did not disapprove of Aeka marrying you at all." Sasami said. "She was glad it worked out that way so because she thought the way things were turning out that someone was going to heartbroken."  
  
"That someone would be me." Aeka said and sat down. Tenchi put her hand on her knee and gave her a light squeeze.  
  
"I don't care who was preordained to be with who, I love both of you." He told her. Ryoko sat on the other side of Tenchi and wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his back.  
  
"Where is Yosho anyway?" Ryoko asked.  
  
"He came onboard with Darius, Yuko, and Mihoshi." Tenchi told her. "I saw him go to his room and he hasn't been out since."  
  
"Where is my other sister?" Sasami asked. They all looked at her and realized who she was talking about.  
  
"Washu is with Orrin on the bridge." Aeka told her.  
  
"This is going to take a lot of getting used to, but we can get through this." Tenchi told them.  
  
"We have to, because all of Jurai depends on us now." Duncan added.  
  
Everyone looked at him, he had been silent since Sasami started tell them Tsunami's secrets, and now they looked back at each other and nodded in agreement. They each put their hands together and Tenchi said, "Let us make this solemn pact, that we will not stop, we will not falter until Jurai is free."  
  
"Agreed." They each said in unison in a soft voice.  
  
The Kryton continue to rush through the sky towards the southern continent of Jurai. In the distance laughter could be heard as the Regis hears word of Kagato's success at the Royal Palace. Captain Ginaro and his four guardsmen manage to dodge the Darkling mechs and find a hover car with enough power left in its fuel cells to get them to the emergency command center. They speed away from the royal capital without looking back. Somewhere far away, in a pocket of reality attached to this one, Lady Tokimi watches the events take fold on planet Jurai, and D3 stands behind her.  
  
"We are powerful to stop them." She said. "It is up to my sisters and their choose champion now."  
  
"Will they succeed?" D3 asks.  
  
"It is difficult to see the future, it is always in motion." Tokimi told him. "But we shall see soon."  
________  
The End of Episode Two...  
  
Next time...  
Episode Three: No Need for Apocalypse  
  
The Darkness has come to planet Jurai. The future of the empire is in the hands   
of a small ragtag band of resistance fighters lead by Tenchi and the gang. Can   
they free Jurai from this Dark Apocalypse, or will Jurai fall and soon the rest   
of the universe with her. Stay tuned for the Prologue of Episode 3: No Need for   
Apocalypse.   
  
If you enjoyed this fan fic series let me know at zorch@the-zorch.com.  
Remember to check out GenSao's Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction Archives for this  
and more great fan fics at http://www.tmffa.com and remember to visit my  
fan site "The-Zorch World of Tenchi Muyo" at http:\\worldotenchi.the-zorch.com. 


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